27th January 2025
Road safety talks continue to improve B3252
DESPITE two fatal accidents on the B3252 Liskeard-Looe road within recent years, a joint meeting of St Keyne & Trewidland and Morval parish councils has been told that the area is ‘not technically’ regarded as an accident blackspot.
However, Cornwall Highways and the Police, working in junction with the parish councils, are still considering some changes to the road layout at Bylane End and some new signage, including seasonal reminders this year aimed at motor-cyclists.
In addition, the road could be subject to more speed monitoring and enforcement exercises.
Two motor-cyclists lost their lives in accidents on the B3252 in 2022 and 2023.
Department of Transport (DfT) criteria has ruled out any changes to the double white line markings along the road, or any reduction in the national 60-mph speed limit.
Meanwhile validated road casualty statistics for Cornwall and Devon show that there were 48 fatalities on the two county’s roads in 2023, with a further 702 people being seriously injured.
The Vision Zero South West road safety partnership, founded in 2019, has committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by 2030.
Despite the latest figures showing a downward trend in both fatalities and serious injuries from the 2016-2018 baseline, Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner and chair of Vision Zero South West, says that there is still a long way to go.
“It’s vital to remember that these aren’t just numbers – these are people’s loved ones and family members, parents, children, brothers, sisters, friends,” she said.
“Each one of these fatal and serious collisions has a devastating impact on those involved and the wider community and we will continue to work hard to reduce the number of people harmed and affected on our roads.
“While I am encouraged to see an overall reduction, there is clearly still much to be done by us all to achieve our goal of eradicating death and serious injury on Devon and Cornwall’s roads.
“This target is incredibly ambitious and simply cannot be achieved without collaboration, innovation and working together with communities. Everyone has a role in making our roads safer.”
The newly released figures highlight casualty numbers for vulnerable road user groups, including motor-cyclists – an area which has seen considerable resource from the partnership over the past two years.
In 2022, following a tragic spate of 16 motor-cycle fatalities, a partnership task group was formed to address some of the main circumstances surrounding the collisions.
The group oversaw the launch of several initiatives, including:
- Op Cossett, a police operation which uses drones to monitor motor-cycle road behaviour from the sky and offers instant roadside education;
- A state-of-the-art motor-cycle simulator, launched in conjunction with the DfT, which is being used to train young motor-cyclists in hazard perception;
- A ‘behaviour change’ publicity campaign devised in collaboration with the Cabinet Office’s Behavioural Science team;
- Increased engagement with the motor-cycle community, and…
- Further promotion of motor-cycle training schemes.
The new figures released by the DfT have shown a significant reduction in the number of motor-cycle fatalities (nine) in 2023, and that reduction appears to have continued into 2024 (six fatal motor-cycle collisions had been recorded as of last October).
Added Commissioner Hernandez: “While it would be difficult to conclusively link this reduction to the work of the partnership, these projects have certainly had an impact and it’s really encouraging to see these figures moving in the right direction.”