A concerned mother says she feels like she's taking her life in her own hands every time she crosses a busy road outside her home.
Rachel Stokes is now calling for a new 30mph to prevent anyone getting hurt. The 42-year-old moved to Keynsham a year ago and lives on Wellsway with her husband and son.
She has seen at least one car crash outside her house in that time and has learned of several others that happened previously, reports Somerset Live.
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The teacher said: "I feel like I'm taking my life in my hands every time I leave the house.
"We live beside the byway and there is a blind bend outside our house, at Uplands. People tend to drift across the central white line and overtake cyclists on the bend.
"We have to creep out and if someone is coming around the bend too fast, you can't get out of the way in time.
"On one occasion recently, my husband was heading out with my little boy, aged three, in the car and they were verbally abused by another motorist who felt he wasn't going fast enough."
There is already a 40mph limit on that part of Wellsway, but Mrs Stokes said that should be dropped to 30mph as far as the "Welcome to Keynsham" sign, on the outskirts of the town.
She added that she had spoken to a neighbour about the issue and that he described seeing several crashes and a fatality in his 47 years there.
Wellsway residents approached Bath and North East Somerset Council in 2019, Rachel explained, to see about getting the speed limit dropped.
However, so far the council has only agreed to implement a 30mph limit up to The Homestead and not as far as Uplands, Mrs Stokes said.
"They are going to reduce the speed limit, but not for the most dangerous part of the road. I think it will not be long before someone is killed.
"The outcome of the crash we saw most recently was incredibly lucky and I can see someone dying before long," she said.
The mum-of-one added that she did not believe that her part of Wellsway was actually suitable for 40mph, according to government guidance on setting local speed limits.
This document states that: "Roads suitable for 40mph are generally higher-quality suburban roads, where there is little development.
"They should have good width and layout, and buildings set back from the road.
"These roads should, wherever possible, cater for the needs of non-motorised road users through segregation of road space, and have adequate footways and crossing places."
Mrs Stokes explained that, on Wellsway at Uplands, the buildings are near the road and there is no pavement or crossings for pedestrians - despite the convenient byway.
A fortnight ago, she - as part of the Keynsham Road Safety Campaign - launched an online petition on Change.org to garner support.
Her target is 500 signatures and, at the time of writing, 452 people had added their names to the list of concerned residents.
You can find and sign the petition here.
As well as campaigning for a 30mph limit on Wellsway, as far as the "Welcome to Keynsham" sign, Mrs Stokes and other locals are calling for flashing signs to remind drivers of the limit.
They have also suggested installing a pavement from Uplands to Courtenay Road to allow walkers to access the byway which joins the Chew Valley rambling routes.
Manda Rigby, cabinet member for transport at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “We are currently reviewing the speed limits along the Wellsway in Keynsham, however, because the Wellsway becomes rural just beyond The Homestead it would not be appropriate to extend the proposed 30mph speed limit any further than the point where the streetlights currently end.
"We are, however, investigating whether other traffic management measures might be feasible to raise awareness of turning vehicles adjacent to the residential properties at Uplands, such as additional signing or road markings.
"We are also looking at an extension of the 20mph speed limit to a point just past Chewton Road, to assist cyclists travelling between Manor Road and Chewton Road.
"Any changes to the speed limits along the Wellsway would include a statutory consultation process to amend the existing traffic regulation orders, so residents would have a chance to comment on our proposals."
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