Calls for extended 20mph zones following crash in Margate

Photo Frank Leppard

Residents and councillors are urging Kent County Council to extend 20mph zones in Margate following a crash in Addington Road today (January 12)

Emergency services were called this afternoon after a Range Rover collided with a wall and former funeral directors building in Addington Road.

No serious injuries were suffered but resident and gallery director Robert Diament says the road is a troublespot and he has particular concern about speeding in the stretch.

No cause for today’s crash has yet been revealed and speeding concerns are general rather than being suggested for this particular incident. (Update: The accident was caused by an accelerator mistake whilst parking. The gentleman suffered some minor cuts but no serious injuries).

The 40-year-old, who moved to the town in 2019 to take the helm at the Carl Freedman Gallery in nearby Union Crescent, said: “I’ve been expecting a major incident to happen since moving onto the road due to daily occurrences of people driving at very high speeds.

“I don’t mean 40mph but more like 50-60mph depending on the time of day and volume of traffic. At night it’s regularly up to 60mph. It’s not safe and it’s totally unacceptable for the local residents but particular those with young families.

“If I feel at risk, then I can’t imagine what it’s like for elderly or younger people. Buses are also regularly forced onto the pavement due to drivers pushing their way down the road. I’ve almost been hit a few times. It has to stop.

“At the end of summer 2020 the corner wall was also knocked down in a similar crash. We really need to work out a cost effective traffic calming scheme and give priority to much needed public transport like the buses and make it safer for everyone here.”

Cllr Barry Lewis

Labour County Councillor for Margate Barry Lewis, who has secured several 20mph zones for the town with the most recent installation in Athelstan Road, is backing Robert’s call for traffic calming measures.

He said: “This highlights the need for the extension of 20mph speed limits to the rest of Margate’s residential areas, after the successful implementation in Central Margate and parts of Cliftonville.

“I will continue to press for KCC to change policy as well as more police enforcement of speeding in the area.

Thanet District councillor for Margate West Harry Scobie added: ““I agree with Cllr  Lewis for reducing speed limits in town centres, but it is also a question of enforcement and the need for technology such as cameras to aid prosecutions.”

In August 35 roads were designated as 20mph zones in Margate town. The schemes were introduced through an Experimental Traffic Order meaning they were installed in September and a consultation will run at the end of the time period to decide whether to make them permanent.

Restrictions run from Nayland roundabout to Trinity Square and up to the Winter Gardens on the approach to Cliftonville.

37 Comments

  1. Totally agree I live in union row just behind union crescent there needs to be speed limit reduction in this area we have already have them along the seafront and old town but not in the lower high street they do more than sixty miles an our in the evening on observations taxi drivers and delivery drivers are racing about.Thanet needs traffic police as well as cameras. To get prosecutions even speed during day time the worse one is new street where drivers are racing down there to avoid the traffic lights in Cecil square there are 20 mph restrictions there.

  2. I fully support the call for an introduction of a 20mph speed limit in all residential areas across Thanet. Not only would this reduce the number of accidents it would also have the added benefit of improving the air quality of the area. Once implemented, TDC and KCC will need to work with the police to raise awareness of road safety and to increase enforcement across the area.

    • Another big plus is the reduced noise pollution. It can make a BIG difference living beside a road with 20 mph traffic instead of 30-40 mph.

  3. It does not matter what the speed limit is it’s there are dangerous idiots who have mentality problems who think they can drive as fast as they want and it’s not until they have an accident and injured or killed someone that the police come along and say “ Oh that must be dangerous driving” the police and especially the courts are the biggest cause dangerous drivers thinking they can get away with speeding.. how often do you see the police doing speed check never
    How often do you hear the courts taking vehicles off speeding drivers as part of their sentence never.

        • Trouble is Peter, the little twats clear the bumps in Acol, then scream past our house’s at stupid mile an hour. But I am pleased they got the bumps, shame KCC didn’t extend them for a mile either side.

  4. I fully support the 20mph limit on this and other similar roads but agree with my fellow Cliftonville West Councillor Harry Scobie that enforcement and fines must be implemented to make any speed limit work.

    • Amazing how many councillors come out into the open when there is universal agreements, where are you for other problems like anti social behaviour, or poor living standards. perhaps something can be done to protect pedestrians from joggers and cyclists who are incapable of giving walkers a good berth when passing especially along promenades where there is plenty of room for all.

      • The cycle paths should be segregated. And all dogs being walked there should be on short leads not those ridiculous long ones.

  5. Peter, go down St Luke’s Avenue Ramsgate they have speed cushions that are totally useless. My daughter lives along there and speeding of 40 plus in a regular thing.

  6. We have tried so many times to get 20MPH limits on some other residential roads in Cliftonville West through KCC councillors at officers. All to no avail, no interest. Funny how they all come out and comment on this though!!

    • Three years ago i promised to highlight the advantages of 20 miles limit. There are dozens of roads in Margate and my cliftonville division. A lot more roads to make safer , but we do have Kent county council run by a conservative group who are not in the main on funding it including cllr Lesley game who represents most of cliftonville west.

    • Kent resident, most of cliftonville west At county level is governed by lesley game who along with her conservative colleagues block 20 miles speed limits . In my area dozens of roads have been made safer in the 3 years i have been a councillor.

  7. We have a lot of technology now. Why are cars designed to achieve 140 MPH when the national speed limit is 70 MPH. The electronics and Technology we have now could limit speeds of vehicles in built up areas. Why this doesn’t happen PROHIT AND GREED..

    • Quite agree, and cars have got a lot fatter, like most of the occupants too! This means as a cyclist, that they brush pass me as they overtake me, especially by Traffic Islands! I have been brushed by cars several times, and been knocked off my bike twice in 24 years of years of cycling. Yes please, 20’s plenty, all over Thanet!

      • When I’m cycling I always leave a 3 foot gap from parked cars (the “door zone”) as advised. Drivers don’t like it though!

        • I try and do the same Peter, and don’t you just love it when a pedestrian walks out between parked cars, or when getting off a bus without looking! Its a little known law of physics that the minute anyone gets on a bike, they become invisible!

  8. Get rid of private cars full stop.
    There are still around 10 fatalities on our roads every day, with hundreds of serious injuries and thousands of minor ones.
    All because far too many motorists think they’re entitled to do what they like.

    • You’ve convinced me! I’m now going to sell the car, convert my garage into a stable, and buy a horse! Now Garlinge garage needs to stop selling petrol and replacing the pumps with bails of hay, and Birchington forge needs to reopen ASAP!

      (Only kidding, I don’t drive!)

    • Yes ok get rid of private cars .
      Then people can’t get to work .
      Then people moaning as unemployment will rise .
      Not everyone drives like a idiot .
      You are blaming people who have done nothing wrong .

      • If we had an excellent public transport system people wouldn’t need private cars. Judging by the comments I’ve read on this paper, car ownership sounds like a very stressful condition.

        • On the contrary, a car gives people the freedom to go where they want ,when they want ,with whomvthey want , they can carry as much sports kit, shopping, etc as they have room for. No public transport system is going to do that.

          • But a lot of people could change the way they live and use a private car much less or not at all if there was a big improvement to public transport.

            And I think most drivers are very selfish. The damage cars have caused to the environment and of course are still causing is huge.

        • People could do a lot of things for the better, but surely its not down to single issues but the manner we live as a whole. If I had to rely on public transport, i’d not be able to respomd to calls from my tenants as quickly, transporting tools and materials would be problematic, i’d have great difficulty visiting elderly relatives, i’d effectively have to give up a hobby i enjoy a great deal.
          It’s not a choice i’d consider for a moment.

          • But not everybody has the same needs as you, LC, and many people could reduce their car usage. I think car usage is a form of addiction.

  9. This particular accident was down to the elderly driver’s foot slipping onto the accelerator and the ensuing panic caused him to have this accident. It was not a “death wish” reckless person screaming down the road, it was a simple accident. He was actually parking! And I do not think anyone could attain a speed of 50-60 mph in Addington Rd! They would not be able to make the junction with Victoria Rd. 40 mph maybe. The problem with this road is that there is only one passing place, opposite the parking bay outside the Sorting Office. Too many cars, too barrows road. The only solution I think, apart from speed bumps, would maybe be to make it one way. But that will never happen. Could it?
    And whoever crashed into my building, I hope you are ok, it’s only a building and I am more than thankful that no one was injured.

    • Well said Mick, as you say hope he’s OK.
      Everyone jumping on the bandwagon for thier own agenda. Shop can be repaired, car too. No big issue.

  10. The Range Rover hit a wall, what a silly place to put a wall.

    Looking at the photo, this could have been much worse.

  11. Why not put all the effort into dealing with those that don’t follow the existing lawas and rules rather than imposing even more restrictions on the law abiding? Or is it that those with power are only capalble of telling the law abiding what to do as we’re pliable where as the miscreants are never going to listen and the powers that be are unable to deal with them?

  12. 20mph limit sign posts & street paint, clearly indicating the speed limit were installed on Athelstan Road over 2 months ago and, as expected, cars, vans & Waste & Recycling trucks reach speeds well above 40mph – daily – anticipating this, ARTRA – Athelstan Road Tenants & Residents’ Association – are in-line to receive Community Speed Warden radar gun training from Kent Police locally coordinating this national scheme, starting in February, lockdown permitting.

    Without calibrated radar gun evidence of motorists completely ignoring 20mph zones on residential streets, police cannot act – the scheme allows police to interview speeding perpetrators & if caught 3 times by Community Speed Wardens, speed restriction violators can be prosecuted & have points deducted from their licences &/or be banned – nothing short of punitive action will alter Thanet’s widespread & embedded speeding culture – making Margate’s 20mph zones on residential streets safer for the community – there’s been a very modest decrease in speeding following the new 20mph speed limit, but the usual suspects, to whom the law doesn’t apply (sic), still reach speeds between 40mph & 60mph on Athelstan Road, on a *daily basis*.

    Speed cameras are only installed in the UK after numerous fatalities – so far, two hospitalisations of primary school aged children have occurred, due to hip & shoulder injuries after being hit by vehicles on Athelstan Road – how long until someone, young, middle aged, or elderly, is actually killed on our new 20mph zone street – even after the Community Speed Warden scheme is up & running, actual fatalities can only be a matter of time, as the scheme depends on volunteers giving up their time to stand on the street in high visibility clothing, operating a hand held radar gun, in all weathers…

Comments are closed.