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Sheppey Crossing: Accidents fall since safety measures installed

The number of accidents on the Sheppey Crossing has fallen since safety measures were installed, it has been revealed.

New figures, from Kent Police, show there have been a total of 20 crashes on the bridge in eight years.

There was a peak in 2014, with six collisions reported. This included the fatal crash in which eight-year-old Marshall Roberts and his mother Deborah, 42, of Granville Road, Sheerness, died when their broken down car was hit by a van on the mainland-bound carriageway on July 1, 2014.

The road to Ridham Dock.MP Gordon Henderson standing by the Sheppey Crossing.Picture: Steve Crispe
The road to Ridham Dock.MP Gordon Henderson standing by the Sheppey Crossing.Picture: Steve Crispe

This also followed the massive pile-up in 2013, where 130 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes in fog.

In July 2015, a temporary 50mph limit was imposed on the bridge and its approaches, following an inquest into the death of Deborah and Marshall.

In that year, the number of crashes dropped to four.

However, following a 17-month safety review of the bridge, the lower maximum limit was replaced with average-speed cameras in March last year. The speed limit was also put back to 70mph.

Since then, just one crash on the crossing was recorded in 2017 and one again so far this year.

Speaking about the figures, MP Gordon Henderson said they proved the safety measures were working, but there were still a number of improvements he’d like to see.

"The noticeable thing is that the number of accidents on the crossing reduced during the period when there was a 50mph limit on it and they haven’t increased since the limit increased to 70mph," he said.

Dozens of cars were involved in the pile-up on the Sheppey Crossing in 2013
Dozens of cars were involved in the pile-up on the Sheppey Crossing in 2013

"That proves that it’s not about speed, it’s about the drivers themselves."

He added: "Since the speed cameras have been live, around 2,000 people have been caught speeding on the bridge, the majority of which were in the first few months of them being installed.

“That shows two things; one, that putting the speed limit up to 70mph from 50mph didn’t have any dramatic increase in the number of accidents because there weren’t any, but also that the problem is not the speed limit at 70mph but people going above 70mph, which was a contributory factor. The accidents weren’t about speed but careless driving and that’s what we have got to improve.”

Mr Henderson said he would still like to see an improvement in lighting on the bridge, as well as better warning signs on its approaches to notify drivers of any incidents that have occurred.

“These are still things I’m working on” he said, “but what’s been introduced is definitely an improvement.”

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