A21 speed limit needs changing

The key issue and the reason why so many people are killed in a short stretch of road is speed and the inability of drivers to anticipate the many situations they find themselves in on a road which is relatively straight (therefore encouraging speed), but has a school with two access roads, residential property, access to Moat Lane and quite often queuing traffic.

I use this road almost every day, I also live near the corner of the A21 and the A28, this means I also witness the accidents where no one is seriously hurt but all have the potential to. I don’t have any statistics for these but there are several a month.

Driving on the A21 both north and south (especially) is frustrating and scary at the junction of the A21 and A28, Maplehurst Road and Junction Road which has been exacerbated by the traffic going to and from the new link road, which I am a regular user of as I go to Bexhill several times a week. However, without the road planned to go between Queensway and Sedlescombe Road North and other existing road changes, congestion around the Harrow Bridge in all directions is inevitable.

The speed limits between Paygate Lane, Sedlescombe and the Harrow Bridge change a number of times but the key bit is where most accidents take place, it changes from 40 to 50 to unrestricted to 50 to 40.

Drivers have demonstrated their inability to cope with this so it would be so simple and not costly to remove the 50 and unrestricted signs and simply restrict to 40mph between Sedlescombe and the Harrow where it goes to 30mph.

I have written to our MP on this subject, and also about my belief that with the number of cars on the road now without the equivalent investment in infrastructure and the 33 people killed every week on our roads, the National Speed Limit should be 55 in the interest of life saving and the environment.

You might guess that this idea had the response ‘The Department has no plans to lower the national speed limit’. Well I knew that but was suggesting they think about it.

They also referred me to the DofT publication on speed limits which simply says it is the responsibility of the local traffic authorities and drivers to act responsibly. Well that’s not working.

Andy Knight

Westfield Lane

St Leonards

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