Dangerous road is under the spotlight

Dangerous road is under the spotlight

16 September 2015

ROADS officials have been asked to carry out a major safety survey at a section of the Strangford Road outside Downpatrick where there have been a number of accidents.

The call has been issued by Newry, Mourne and Down 

Council chairwoman Naomi Bailie.

Last December, a young man was killed in a car accident at a bad bend on the road and Ms Bailie says she has come across two accidents in recent weeks at the same location.

She is concerned lives are still being “placed at risk” and is seeking a meeting with senior TransportNI officials to discuss the issue.

Ms Bailie believes while poor weather was responsible for one of the accidents she came across recently, there is a need for enhanced warnings for drivers to inform them they are approaching a sharp bend and that visibility at this particular location is poor.

“One life has already been claimed at this particular section and road officials must act urgently to ensure safety measures are updated before there is another serious incident,” she remarked.

“I’m also concerned motorists are not reporting these incidents to the authorities. Quite often, unless it’s serious, drivers are content to deal with the issue themselves. But, unless we have recordings of accidents at this location, it’s very difficult to make conditions better.”

She added: “This road has a series of drainage issues and I’ve been lobbying TransportNI for years now to resolve them. Large pools of lying water contribute to how hazardous the road now is, particularly during heavy rainfall and late at night. The safety assessment I have asked for is currently underway.”