Pressure is mounting for action on improving safety on a dangerous road after a road accident killed two people.
The notorious blackspot at Iron Railings junction on the Tavistock to Chillaton road claimed the lives of a baby girl and a man, passengers in the two cars involved in the crash on August Bank Holiday Monday.
Police are still investigating the accident and the driver of one of the cars, a man in his 30s from Peterborough, has been released on bail pending further investigations after arrest on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and serious injury by careless driving.
Neil Jory, West Devon Borough Council member for Milton Ford, is leading on pressing Devon County Highways to address the concerns of residents and commuters.
He has spoken to the Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner and county and parish councillors including those from Milton Abbot, Lamerton and Chillaton councils.
Cllr Jory, who lives at Chillaton, said: “This has been a shocking tragedy and all our thoughts are with those people involved, their families and the emergency services and others who responded so quickly.
“There is a high degree of concern from many people, including drivers and residents and the local councils who all agree the road and this junction are unsafe and have caused near-misses and crashes, deaths and injuries going back years.
“Everyone knows and accepts that this is dangerous junction, that the statistics prove it and that there is no reason to delay action. This recent serious crash marks the moment where something has to be done to improve safety.
“My objective has been to secure a commitment that DCC Highways will carry out an immediate safety review of the junction and implement some immediate and simple safety measures – such as clearer signage.”
Cllr Jory added he said he understood county highways road safety team would be involved in a review of the junction, due to the high level of concern over the danger of the off-set junction.
He accepted the county council is treading carefully due to the police investigation, “however, the points that we have all made have been received and are being considered. I have asked that they move forward as quickly as they can and that they ensure there is some local input into the review.”
James Hitchcock, Chillaton parish councillor and chair of the Chillaton Road Safety Working Group, said: “We are more than aware of the dangers presented by rural travel. This junction has seen repeated serious accidents and no amount of hiding behind statistics is going to improve matters.
“Local residents have asked me what is going to be done to make this junction safer. An answer of ‘it’s not that bad’ isn’t going to go down well. Remedial action is required before further serious injury and deaths occur.”
Ann Cole, Lamerton parish councillor, said: “This road has always been dangerous and while nothing is done to improve road markings and signage the Iron Railings junctions is somewhere where an accident is always likely.”
