Calls to make Derbyshire accident black spot road safer

On Saturday February, 24 a car slid on a stretch of icy road at Little Hayfield, crashing into a stone wall which then fell onto a parked car – causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Ian Roberts, whose car was damaged, says more needs to be done to make Glossop Road safer.

He said: “There is at least one incident per week - particularly on the narrow bridge a hundred yards further along the road where wing mirrors are regularly ripped off in minor collisions.

“The most seriously dangerous section of road is towards and on the corner at the bottom of the Chunal Hill with the road speed being too high, inadequate warning signs and surface water because of blocked drains with ice when the temperature drops.”

Now he is calling for the speed limit of the road to be lowered. He said: “The 50mph speed limit is completely inappropriate. The road is steep, winding and narrow and in a residential area as well as being a popular walking destination with no pavement.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: “We were sorry to hear about the collision and hope all those involved are ok.

“It appears that ice on the road was caused from water running off surrounding land, but we did grit the road on Friday evening, alongside all our gritting routes.”

The county council said because of the recent exceptional wet weather, there is an issue with surrounding land being saturated, and they are finding that surface water on the roads is becoming an issue – especially following the heavy rainfall.

When temperatures then fall this can lead to ice being a problem, and on a hill running water can wash grit off roads very quickly, they said.

The council said the nearby drains were cleaned in September, which is on their normal highways drainage schedule. They said however they would arrange for a jetting machine to visit the site to clean and check the drains in the next few days.

When asked about the speed limit the council spokesperson said: “We apply national guidance, and we consider that 50mph is appropriate for this road.

“As with any incident on our roads though, we will liaise with the local police and review whether any new road safety measures are needed in this location.”

“We constantly review all our roads and any incidents, enquiries or concerns and we do what we can to keep all those who use our roads as safe as possible.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Constabulary added: “Officers were called to a collision in Glossop Road, Little Hayfield, shortly before 7.30am on Saturday February, 24.

“A car had collided with a wall and another vehicle due to icy conditions on the road. Officers helped to grit the road to make the surface safe, and the road was closed for a time whilst vehicle recovery was arranged. No one was injured during the collision.”