Residents 'frightened' by speeding hotspot

Roy Egan said 'boy racers' treated the road as a 'racetrack'

People are "frightened" by unregulated speeding cars on a busy stretch of road, a resident said.

Roy Egan, who lives in north Bristol near Cribbs Causeway, spoke to BBC Radio Bristol about the situation on the A4018, which runs up to the mall.

He said motorists can do "whatever speed" they liked, due a lack of enforcement caused by poor signage in the area.

South Gloucestershire Council said there had been "some confusion" about road signs in the area, adding it was "working to resolve this".

'A racetrack'

Mr Egan said issues along the road began in 2020 when building work began nearby, leading to roadworks.

"Because of muck-ups by the council the police couldn't enforce a 30mph speed limit, so we had cars going through a single carriageway and the roadworks at 60, 70mph," he said.

He claimed speeding along the road effectively was not policed, as drivers were unlikely to receive penalties in court due to the signage being unclear.

"You could come down here, doing whatever speed you like, and the police can't do anything about it," he said.

"Especially of an evening, when you get the boy racers up and down here, they're doing 70, 80, 90mph.

"They use the traffic lights as a racetrack."

Mr Egan said he had been knocked off his bike three times, and had seen a woman pushing a pram "frightened to death" when passed by a large lorry travelling at "plus-60mph".

"She bent down and had to grab the pram to stop it being sucked under the wheels of this eight-wheeler," he added

'Work to begin'

A statement from the council said work was under way to improve problems.

"The speed limit has been reduced from 50mph to 40mph and we are in the process of arranging for the current signage to be updated to reflect the new limit," the council said.

"This involves decommissioning the current illuminated signs and carrying out the relevant surveys for utilities.

"This scheme will take the adjoining roads into account, including ones that are not adopted as part of the highway network, and we hope to begin work in the coming weeks.”