FURIOUS residents are fed up with living on “one of the most dangerous roads” in Britain – the scene of constant car crashes.
Carlton Road, in Nottingham, and its nearby junction, have been dubbed a “death trap” by locals who fear for their lives, with many desperate to sell-up.
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaLocals say cars often drive through the junction’s red lights[/caption]
The latest crash saw local Nick Cox’s car written-offNottinghamshireLive/BPM
NottinghamshireLive/BPMLocals have counted more than 70 incidents in the last five years alone[/caption]
The stretch of road is notoriously busy due to being one of the main ways in and out of the town centre.
And has seen more than 70 crashes in the last five years.
In the latest collision, earlier this month, resident Nick Cox, 42, had his car written-off after it was caught in the crossfire of a high speed police chase.
Nick was woken up in the early hours of June 11 to find his car had been wrecked.
The rear wheel and fender of his parked Hyundai had been ripped off and scattered meters up the road, after a driver being pursued by the cops had smashed into it.
The IT worker was unfortunately left “frustrated and annoyed” but not “too surprised.”
He told The Sun: “We have had quite a few accidents.
“It’s the second time, granted in 18 years, that my car’s been hit on the road – it’s dangerous.”
Nick explained that he witnesses daily speeding and believes improved signage may help deter some motorists from driving too fast.
He added: “I have got a 14-year-old lad who crosses the road to go to the shop.
“It is putting everyone at risk.
“There needs to be at least some sort of speed warning or camera. It would deter a lot of people.”
Another fed-up local, Michael Whitear, 46, has lived near the Porchester Road four-way traffic junction for the past 15 years.
The former chef said: “It used to be relatively quiet and peaceful here but over the years it has gotten worse.
“I have stopped driving now and don’t feel safe as a pedestrian.”
Michael told The Sun that there have been so many incidents at the spot in Carlton that some people have chosen to move away.
He described the area as a “death trap”, adding that he felt safer when he used to live in London.
Speaking from his doorstep, which overlooks the busy junction, Michael said: “This has got to be one of the worst and most dangerous roads in the country.
“I don’t know if there have been any fatalities but there have been lots of accidents with people being injured and cars damaged.”
He went on to criticise the local council for failing to do anything to resolve the situation, an opinion which is shared by his neighbours.
He added: “There needs to be some traffic calming measures put in place but there is nothing.
“Drivers bomb down the hill past my house into town and often cross the lights on red, you see it happening all the time.”
Michael explained that his concerned neighbour urged the authorities to set up speed cameras on the four key roads, which range from 20mph to 30mph, but nothing ever came of it.
He said: “I’m glad I’m not driving any more. It is only a matter of time that someone is hurt again or even killed.
“Also, when I did have a car, it wasn’t safe parked on the street. I was always worried it would be hit.”
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaMichael Whitear told The Sun that residents have been forced to move out[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaE-bikers and motorcyclists have also been known to cause collisions along the road[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaLocals claim the council doesn’t see this road as a priority[/caption]
Hair salon boss Carrie-Ann Cooper said: “It’s crazy – the crossroads are very dangerous.
“Lots of people jump the lights and cars cut up others.
“Some houses have off-street parking but many park their vehicles in the street and the cats race past to swerve them and sometimes crash into them.”
Carrie-Ann’s business, Creations, is on a small parade in the densely populated residential neighbourhood.
She explained that she lived in the flat above the salon for five years and has witnessed a lot of accidents.
She added: “We are on the brow of the hill and whichever way you go it is chaos.
“I would like to see the double lanes on each side of the road reduced to a single on the approach to the crossroads and maybe some speed bumps put in.”
We are on the brow of the hill and whichever way you go it is chaos. I would like to see the double lanes on each side of the road reduced to a single on the approach to the crossroads and maybe some speed bumps put in.
Carrie-Ann Cooper
Carrie-Ann said that cash-strapped Nottingham City Council, which declared itself bankrupt in November 2023, should be taking action.
Student, Sophie Goodhead, 18, lives near the scene of the most recent crash.
She said: “It is just horrible, I see so many crashes here and it is shocking that nothing is being done.”
“A lot of the time it is e-bikes and scooters causing the problem.”
Sophie, who is set to study Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University in September, said: “Many people are driving clearly intoxicated, speeding and getting to the traffic lights on yellow and jumping on red.
“You can hear the engines revving up.
“There is always an accident waiting to happen.
“It can be terrifying at times. I am always walking around to catch the bus and you don’t always feel safe.”
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaCarrie-Ann is the owner of Nottingham hair salon, Creations[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaStudent, Sophie, said she doesn’t always feel safe getting the bus[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaThe busy junction connects Porchester Road with Burgass Road and Emmanuel Avenue[/caption]
Nottingham City Council previously said it recognised there could be an “emerging issue” with speeding on Carlton Road, but much to the locals’ frustration, it is still yet to be seen as a priority.
Resident Katie Keating is trying to mastermind an awareness campaign and has accused the police and council of “moving the goalposts.”
The childminder has collated statistics which reveal there have been upwards of 70 crashes on the entire B686 stretch of Carlton Road over the last five years.
Katie said: “They keep saying it’s not as dangerous as others in the area or they have not got enough money.”
Katie’s neighbour, Barbara Broddel, added: “It is very bad up this road and some drivers just don’t take notice.”
Barbara has lived in the area for four decades and admitted that the problem is only getting worse.
She said: “There have been quite a few bad crashes.
“We have been out on the road diverting traffic.
“There could be children in these cars they crash into. There could be someone crossing the road.
“It is getting worse and it is very worrying.”
‘So much speeding and bad driving’
On the latest crash, Barbara said: “It is bad but it didn’t surprise me.”
Another disgruntled resident, Dean Roberts, 46, complained: “There is so much speeding and bad driving here – it is ridiculous.
“I am a driver and always very careful but it is the idiots you have to watch out for.
“It is mainly the young males in Mercedes and BMW at fault.”
Dean, who is a worker at Boots warehouse, added: “Then there’s all the e-bikes and motorbikes, and people drinking and driving, and many potholes and it all spells danger.
“The crossroads are so busy with Carlton Road being the way in and out of town and people rushing everywhere.
Another local added: “My neighbour’s car has been written off and my own car has been hit three times with varying degrees of damage.
“It is not fair to the people living here and it is dangerous for everybody.”
A council spokesperson told Nottinghamshire Live: “While we appreciate feedback from residents, we have to prioritise our traffic calming activities to the roads where the highest number of incidents and accidents are happening.”
“This section of Carlton Road is not currently one of the highest priority roads but we will continue to monitor the situation and will investigate when we have been able to tackle the higher priority locations.
“We also continue to seek out extra funding to allow us to increase the amount that we are able to do each year.”
Nottinghamshire Police also declined to comment on the concerns over speeding, but confirmed three men , aged between 21 and 22, had been arrested in relation to the recent crash.
The police told Nottinghamshire Live that they were all detained on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without insurance.
Inspector Chris Chell described it as an “appalling display of driving” that put people’s lives in danger.
The Sun have reached out to Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police for further comment.
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Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaCarlton Road is one of the main routes into Nottingham town centre[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaDerby Road and Hucknall Road in Nottingham are also identified as having high risk levels[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
