Safety measures cut road death injury toll

Deaths and serious injury accidents on Carmarthenshire roads that have had more than £300,000’s worth of safety measurers have been cut from 70 to 15 in three years.

And slight injury accidents on the same 10 routes have been reduced from 164 to 75.

It has been achieved with the determine efforts by the Community Safety Partnership Road Safety Action Group responding promptly and effective to counter any trend forming accident blackspots.

Amazingly the Hendy-Llannon and Trimsaran-Pontyates road have been accident free for more than three years whereas in the three years preceding the safety enhancements there were five killed or seriously injured and 12 slightly injured.

County deputy leader Cllr Pam Palmer said: “The Road Safety Action Group deserves praise and recognition for these life saving results.

“People may have views about the many speed feedback cameras that are appearing on our roads with more signage and paint in roads but. The recorded statistics sends out a powerful message that what we are doing it working by saving lives.”

The safety treatments have include vehicle activated speed feedback signs, 50mph stand out signage; high visibility signage, road markings and anti skid matting; chicanes and preferred lane markings including widening central lining.

Routes treated are Pontamman-Garnant; Swiss Valley-Llannon; Kidwelly-Idole; Penymynydd, Pembrey-Furnace; Pwll-Kidwelly; Pemberton-Llangennech; Furnace-Pontyates; Berwick Roundabout-Loughor Bridge; Abergwili-Windy Ridge; Hendy-Llannon and Trimsaran-Pontyates.

Records show on the A474 Pontamman-Garnant Road preceding the safety improvements created in 2008-10 there were 16 killed or seriously injured and 47 slightly injured reducing to eight and 26 in the three years since the improvements were performed.

On the A476 Swiss Valley to Llannon Road before the improvements in 2008-10 there were 10-KSI and 21 SI compared to one KSI and 13 SI since.

On the A474 Kidwelly to Idole road before the improvements in 2008-10 there were 12 killed or seriously injured and 12 slightly injured compared to one killed or seriously inju7red and eight slightly injured in the same period since.

In the three years before the safety measure improvements in 2009-10 on the B4308 between Penymynydd, Pembrey and Furnace there were two killed or seriously injured and seven slightly injured compared to one killed or seriously injured and eight slightly injured after the improvements.

The A484 Pwll to Kidwelly road had the safety treatments in 2010-11. In the three years before the scheme seven were killed or slightly hurt and 21 slightly injured. In the three years since the improvements no-one has been killed or seriously injured and 11 have been slightly injured.

The B4297 Pemberton-Llangennech road had the safety measurers introduced in 2010-11 and in the three years before one was killed or slightly injured and 11 slightly injured. This compares to two being killed or slightly injured and four slightly injured after the works have been completed.

The B4309 Furnace to Pontyates road was improved 2012-11 and the three years preceding the works statistics show three killed or seriously injured and eight slightly injured and in the three years since, two killed or slightly injured and three slightly injured.

There following four schemes tackled during 2011-12.

The A484 Berwick roundabout to Loughor Bridge recorded in the three years before the implementation of the safety features two killed or seriously injured and eight slightly injured. In the three years afterwards none were killed or seriously injured and two slightly injured.

On the Glangwili to Windy Ridge section of the A485 those killed or seriously injured in the three years before and after the scheme was imposed have been reduced from five to two and those slightly injured slashed from 27 to three.

One of the most impressive results has been on the Hendy to Llannon A4306 road. There were three killed or seriously injured and eight slightly injured in the three years before the works. There has been no injury accident recorded since.

Similarly on the Trimsaran to Pontyates B4317 road. Two were reported killed or seriously injured pre scheme and four slightly hurt. Again there have been no accidents since.