03 May 2024
One of the most dangerous roads in the district is to see new speed limits introduce in a bid to improve safety.
Following consultation with local residents, 40mph and 50mph limits are to be introduced on the notorious A5183 Redbourn Road.
A three-mile section of the road between Batchwood Drive in St Albans and Redbourn High Street Roundabout has witnessed six fatalities and six serious accidents in the past six years, and 19 deaths in total since 1980.
Consultation on proposed speed limit alterations took place in December 2023, with over 1,200 responses received. Over three quarters (77%) of respondents supported the proposal to lower the National Speed Limit (60 mph) section of Redbourn Road, from Hogg End Lane to Beaumont Hall Lane, to 50mph. Feedback from the consultation has also led to an extended 40mph zone at the Redbourn village end of the road.
There are currently varying speed limits along the route including, 30, 40, 50 and 60mph zones. The changes aim to improve the safety for all road users by managing the speed of vehicles, with an overall intention to reduce overtaking and improve driver behaviour, which will in turn help to lower collisions and road user injury. Community concern has previously been expressed in two petitions for safety works to be delivered.
Cllr Phil Bibby, executive member for highways and transport at HCC said: “I’d like to thank everyone who responded to the consultation last December, the results from which clearly show a desire to improve safety for all road users who travel on the Redbourn Road. The consolidation of the speed limit along the entire route to a longer 50 mph stretch, together with changing the 30 mph speed limit at the northern, Redbourn village end to a 40 mph, will help to manage the speed of traffic more effectively. The 30 mph limit at the southern, St Albans end of the road will remain.”
“Not all accidents can be prevented by physical road changes and users need to take responsibility, but I hope that these changes will help lead to a reduction in collisions and injuries that we all want to see. Should speeds not adhere to the limit, further enforcement measures will be considered.”
