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Your invitation to give feedback on the A507
Bedfordshire Highways are planning a safety scheme to make the A507 between the One-O-One (A5120) Roundabout, Flitwick and the A1(M) Junction, Stotfold safer for motorcyclists. Motorcyclists have been injured in 24 collisions over the last 5 years on this stetch of the A507.
All riders are invited to give feedback on this route, which will be used by Highway Safety Engineers to help develop a safety scheme to reduce the casualty toll. If you regularly ride this route and would like to give feedback, please complete the form below and send it to Kevin Penfold, Bedfordshire Highways, Woodlands Annex, Bedford MK41 7NU or email it to kevin.penfold@amey.co.uk.
A507 Riders Feedback Form (clicking on this link will open a word document)
Please send your feedback forms by 30th September 2008
Safety Ride-Out
Thank you to all riders who attended the Safety Ride-Out on this route on 16th August 2008 - feedback was collected from around forty riders who attended the event.
Highway Engineer's Preliminary Report
Below is a summary of the preliminary findings of a road safety engineer on motorcycle casualties on the A507 between the A5120 (One-O-One roundabout)
and the A1 (M) junction, produced by Bedfordshire Highways.
1. Route Description
The section of route considered by this summary is the A507 between the A5120 (One-O-One roundabout) and the A1 (M) junction (approximate length 23kms).
There are 2 sections of wide single carriageway (Ampthill – Clophill and Shefford – A1 (M)) connected by a section of standard width single carriageway. This length of the A507 is currently subject to the national speed limit and is rural in nature.
There are 12 roundabouts along this section ranging in size from the Mid-Beds access at Chicksands to the Hitchin Road, Stotfold roundabout.
2. Motorcycle Casualties
In the 3 year period from 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2007, 10 personal injury collisions involving motorcyclists were recorded on this section of the A507. Of these 6 riders sustained serious injuries and 5 received slight injuries.
3. Why did these accidents happen?
5 of the incidents occurred during daylight hours on a dry road surface. 2 incidents occurred during the hours of darkness (2 on wet surface). There were no common factors in the locations, days or times that these accidents occurred.
Of the collisions:
· 4 were the result of rider error
· 5 were the result of driver error
The main causes were:
· Riding too close to other vehicles
· Drivers failing to observe motorcyclists
4. Preliminary Recommendations
Preliminary recommendations to improve motorcycle safety on this route include a range of education, enforcement and engineering measures, as follows:
Education
· Generally, encourage advanced rider training to improve skills in bike control and hazard awareness
Enforcement
· continue covert enforcement
Engineering
· Maintain route to remove overgrown vegetation and fill potholes
· Improve road lining and road studs throughout
5. Rider Consultation
The views of motorcyclists are being sought, from riders who either ride this route regularly, or who may choose the ride the route specifically to provide feedback for the purpose of this safety study.