In an effort to enhance road safety, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet is set to deliberate on a proposal to reduce the speed limit on a significant portion of Queens Drive from 40mph to 30mph.
The proposal stems from a motion supported by councillors in February last year and will be discussed next week, on 7th February.
The motion called for increased road safety measures on the busy stretch of Queens Drive, specifically between Whitbourne Avenue and Drakes Way.
Councillors, alarmed by the number of accidents on Queens Drive, particularly noting the vulnerability of children from more deprived areas, brought the motion before the Council. In response, the Council commissioned a comprehensive study to analyse speed data and collision rates along the dual carriageway.
The study indicated that while the majority of drivers adhere to the posted 40mph speed limit, lowering the speed to 30mph may potentially reduce the severity of collisions and enhance driver response times at crossings. Wiltshire Police identified speed as a contributing factor in 22% of the collisions.
Between February 2018 and January 2023, there were 37 reported accidents on Queens Drive, with three categorised as serious and 34 recorded as slight. Thankfully, no fatal accidents occurred during this period.
Of the 47 casualties, 12 were children, and three were over 60 years old. Pedestrians and cyclists were also involved in the accidents in the stretch of road being discussed.
Should the Council’s Cabinet approve the reduced speed limit between Whitbourne Avenue and the existing 30mph limit south of the Drakes roundabout, a public consultation will take place before and change is implemented.
Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said: “We want to make our roads as safe as possible for both pedestrians and motorists and that is especially true of Queens Drive, which is one of Swindon’s busiest strategic arterial routes.
“Councillors were very concerned about recent collisions along Queens Drive when considering the number of pupils who regularly cross the road to get to neighbouring schools, which is why the motion calling for the reduction in the speed limit received such strong support across the Chamber.
“The study, which the Council commissioned, analysed speed and collision data and I’m pleased it concurred with councillors that a reduction in the speed limit would help to reduce the severity of any collisions and improve driver response times at crossings.
“I hope my Cabinet colleagues will support the proposed changes to the speed limit on this part of Queens Drive and will also be supportive of our plans to look at the other end of the road between Coate Water and Whitbourne Avenue to see if any further road safety improvements can also be made there following the recent decommissioning of the two subways.”
