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  • Petition
  • ePetition details

    Speed Limit Change

    We the undersigned petition the council to Reduce Westerham Hill speed limit and increase Pilgrims Way junction warning signs

    Having witnessed 4 very serious accidents in 5 months this junction needs attention before someone is killed!

    This ePetition ran from 08/11/2021 to 08/02/2022 and has now finished.

    114 people signed this ePetition.

    Council response

    Dear Mr Brewer

    Thank you for submitting your petition to request a reduction in the speed limit on A233 Westerham Hill, Westerham and an increase in junction warning signage at the crossroads of A233 Westerham Hill, A233 London Road and Pilgrims Way.

    I appreciate the time you have taken to raise this issue with me. We take every suggestion about road safety very seriously.

    In accordance with our ‘Petition Service’ as your letter contains less than 1,000 signatures I have investigated and reviewed your concerns in my role as the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.

    We receive many requests for the implementation of improvements on the highway, and all requests are reviewed and prioritised. We use an evidence-based approach to prioritise investment in our highway improvement projects to achieve safer roads and streets. Our first priority is to check if there is any pattern of personal injury crash records for the past three years that could be addressed by engineering methods.

    Our officers have reviewed the personal injury collision data for the last available three-year period (currently up to 31 December 2021). The data indicates that there have been 7 incidents resulting in personal injury at this location. Whilst this site does not currently feature on our latest annual list of crash cluster sites, our officers do feel that it warrants further investigation. We have therefore undertaken a site visit and are currently reviewing what potential improvement measures could be practically implemented here (subject to any funding being approved).
    With regards to the speed limit on A233 Westerham Hill, I can advise that our officers work to guidance set out in the Department for Transport circular 01/2013 ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’ to help ensure that any speed limits are evidence-led and self-explaining, with the aim to encourage self-compliance. The key factors that should be taken into account in any decisions on local speed limits are:

    • history of collisions
    • road geometry, environment and engineering
    • road function
    • composition of road users (including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users)
    • existing traffic speeds

    The road at this location is rural and has a predominate through traffic function being the A233. Properties are very sparse and those present are set back from the road, with some bends, junctions and accesses. Warning signs are in place for the hazards including bends and junctions. There are no footways or street lighting present and some evidence of vulnerable road users.

    We must also bear in mind that the vast majority of the rural road network is subject to the national speed limit of 60mph on single carriageway roads. On many of these roads, the majority of drivers are travelling below, sometimes significantly below the speed limit because of the geometric characteristics of the road, which includes narrow carriageway widths, bends, junctions and accesses. Drivers will often drive to what they can see on the road ahead rather than up to the national speed limit and there are only terminal signs at each end of the speed limit, with no repeater signage throughout. This would change with a reduction in the speed limit and there is a risk that drivers may believe that it is safe to travel at inappropriate speeds when negotiating hazards such as bends. Speed limits should not be used to warn of single hazards but relate to the whole road environment. A change in the posted speed limit alone will rarely make a significant change to the actual speeds of vehicles being driven along a road. Typically, a reduction of only 2-3mph is achieved through signing alone.

    Our officers have reviewed available average speed data for the A233 Westerham Hill / London Road between the roundabout with Beggars Lane and the change of speed limit to 30 mph just north of Grays Road. The data indicates a v