Call for lower speed limit on 'terrifying' road

Residents living alongside a "terrifying" road in Derbyshire have called for the speed limit to be cut in a bid to reduce the number of crashes.

A 30mph (48km/h) limit is currently in place on the A6 Buxton Road, Bakewell, but people living near the stretch have said cars are often seen travelling over the limit.

Diane Hawksworth, who has lived in Buxton Road since 1973, said: "As you walk down the street as a pedestrian and something is coming thundering towards you and it's doing well over 30, it's terrifying."

Derbyshire County Council said road safety was "one of its top priorities and it always welcomes the opportunity to listen to local residents about any issues they may have".

Residents say the short section of Buxton Road is the narrowest stretch along the whole length of the A6, one of England's longest roads.

Hawksworth added: "If you hear a screech of brakes, you're ready to jump over an available wall if there is one available. It's that bad.

"A lot of the entrances [on Buxton Road] are actually hidden, so every time you stick your nose out, [you] have a chance of an impact."

She said "virtually everyone" that lives on the street had shown support for reducing the limit, describing the current situation as "a nightmare".

Georgina Morewood, who has lived in Buxton Road for 23 years, said "it just feels very, very unsafe most of the time".

"People are exceeding the speed limit," she said.

"It makes it very, very difficult for kids to cross the road. It's a popular route out of school for quite a number of kids."

Morewood said she thinks a lower speed limit would "make a huge difference" as it would offer better reaction time for drivers, particularly with children around.

She added: "I've seen all sorts of things. I actually live on the narrowest part of the road, so I've had lorries bumping up the kerb in front of my house when you've got two large vehicles trying to pass each other."

Derbyshire Police said it was called to an incident on the A6 Buxton Road on the morning of 10 August after a Land Rover had left the carriageway, colliding with railings and a female pedestrian.

The force had said the pedestrian was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

It is not known if excessive speed was an issue.

Derbyshire County Council's cabinet member for highways, Charlotte Hill, said: "Road safety is one of our top priorities and we always welcome the opportunity to listen to local residents about any issues they may have.

"We do not have the facts around the cause of this accident and would not speculate on whether speed was a factor or not, but we will liaise with police.

"With regards to this stretch of road, from our available speed data, the majority of motorists are travelling below the speed limit and this is because of the narrow nature of the carriageway.

"However, I'm happy to discuss the issue with anyone who has concerns."

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