Speeding occurs in two locations:
- In the village centre, where road space is shared between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists
- At the 4 Village Gateways – where the speeding is most lethal
‘Village Gateway’ means the main traffic entry points to a village. Because approaching traffic is still following the national limit (60mph) Village Gateways customarily include these slowing measures and signage:
- Speed bumps or pinch points to slow the traffic
- Graduated changes of speed limit signs
- Village name sign
- New speed limits painted on road surface
We need Village Gateways in Wedmore
Wedmore is particularly vulnerable to speeding traffic entering at its Gateways, as it is on a major ‘crossroad’ between 4 larger population centres: North/South, travelling from Cheddar/Bristol to and from Glastonbury/Street; East West, travelling from Wells/Bath to and from Mark/M5 J22.
And the growing use of route optimization software (sat-nav) means motorists are guided from A to B by the shortest route – i.e. through Wedmore, making it a ‘rat run’.
Read more about what this means for us…
In 2019 Council Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) on Cheddar Road recorded a very heavy traffic throughput of 53,000 vehicles over 28 days in July. Of these, 78.5% were speeding, with an average speed of 39mph, where the risk of severe injury is 75%.
Wedmore’s limited adult population could not have generated this volume of traffic on this one Gateway. These data confirm that our problem with speeding traffic comes not from Wedmore residents, but from through traffic, caused by out-of-town drivers. aided by sat-nav, using our village as a “through rat-run” connecting two external destinations.
All of the fatal and serious speed-related accidents on Wedmore roads since 2019 – one death and two near-fatalities on the Cheddar Road, one seriously injured and hospitalised victim on the Mudgley Road, and one fatality at Blackford, have all been caused by speeding drivers entering through a Village Gateway. – none in the village centre, where recorded speeds are low, at least during the morning and evening “rush hour” periods when traffic congestion is heavy and hindered by parked cars.
Of Wedmore’s 4 Gateways, one – on the way in from Mark, outside the school – has effective traffic-slowing measures: a 20 mph speed limit and traffic-calming speed bumps on the road. Result? No deaths or serious accidents at this Gateway.
The problem is that when steps are taken to try to enforce even the existing 30mph limit with a mobile speed camera, cynical and misguided social media posts tell everyone the camera is there – presumably because people are just used to ignoring the speed limit and might get caught! Why can’t people just be sensible and abide by speed limits? They are there for a good reason.
Dear Anonymous, we too are concerned about these ‘girl/boy recers’ and we are taking steps to reinstate the Community Speed Watch run by volunteers to try and persuade motorists that they need to observe speed limits.
Do you have a plan showing where the 20mph speed limit will begin and end on each of the access roads into Wedmore village? Would Blackford be included, for example? And what traffic calming measures do you anticipate creating to encourage drivers to observe the lower speed limit?
Dear Judy, thank you for visiting our website. I can report that Somerset Highways have now provided us with an official plan of how the 20mph speed limit should be implemented. It is published on our home page. They have said quite explicitly “Wedmore IS suitable for a 20mph speed limit and the decision on whether to proceed solely rests with the Parish Council.” All the PC has to do is get on with it! I’m afraid that Blackford lies outside this Highways proposal, so this would have to be addressed separately.