By Rashleigh MacFarlane

A plan designed to cut accidents and reduce deaths on the A38 in East Cornwall has been published today (Tuesday.)

The draft A38 Road Safety Feasibility Study recommends improvements on a stretch of road from Bodmin to Saltash.

For the five-year period between 1st December 2013 and 30th November 2018, a total of 254 serious accidents were recorded within the study area. These collisions involved a total of 532 individual vehicles and resulted in 441 casualties.

The draft report makes a number of short and long term recommendations, including more Average Speed Cameras, reducing the speed limit on selected stretches of the road and measures to reduce traffic speeds in Tideford and Landrake.

The Study considers the proposals put forward by Safe38, the community led group set up by residents to champion the need for improvements on the A38.   It includes data on many of the accidents in recent years and concludes that the main factor was the speed of traffic.  Engineering issues were secondary.

You can download and read the entire document here:2019 06 21 A38 Feasibility Report Final Draft

Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transport said:  “This is an important piece of work in establishing a programme that Cornwall Council can work with partners and the local community to deliver.  We welcomed the approach taken by Safe38, to assist the development of a road safety improvement programme and for providing valuable insight to the issues experienced by local residents and businesses.  The immediate priority for Cornwall is for safety measures, which have been set out Study, to achieve a reduction in those killed and seriously injured”.

Marcus Anning, South West Asset Needs Manager for Highways England, said: “We have been working alongside the council and other partners within the Peninsula Road Safety Partnership to identify and implement a programme of measures to help improve safety along the route, and we are now prioritising and developing options such that they can be funded and delivered as quickly as possible.”

Adrian Leisk, Chief Inspector Head of Roads Policing said: “We are fully supportive of the approach being taken to address the concerns on the A38.  Since October 2018, an additional £750,000 has been invested to provide 25 additional officers within Devon and Cornwall, doubling the Roads Policing presence in Cornwall.  Enforcement activity has been increased and discussions between Highway’s England and the Safety Camera Team are progressing to deliver an additional 3 enforcement site locations”.

Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez said: “It is great to see that community led proposals have been taken on board in this Study to address the issues of road safety.  The greatest outcomes will be achieved through a combination of Education and Engagement, Engineering and Enforcement activity and I welcome the collaborative approach taken by all partners.”