Locals 'delighted' by crossroads traffic light plan

Ann Venus was involved in an accident at the Black Dog Crossroads

A woman who was injured in a crash has welcomed plans for traffic lights at a crossroads known locally as an accident blackspot.

Wiltshire Council has confirmed it will install traffic lights on the Black Dog Crossroads near Devizes, a measure which campaigners have long called for.

Ann Venus, from Little Cheverell, who said she suffered severe whiplash after a van crashed into the side of her car, welcomed the plans, adding the council was “finally doing the right thing”.

Councillor Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, said: "We are committed to improving road safety for all our road users in Wiltshire."

The Black Dog Crossroads is known as one of the most dangerous crossroads in the county

Ms Venus said she was "shocked" after the accident, which happened several years ago.

"It happens so suddenly and takes you completely by surprise", she explained, "I had bad whiplash but I couldn't even feel that - I was numb, I couldn't feel a thing."

She added she was disappointed at the lack of safety measures on the crossroads and is now "delighted" about the planned traffic light installation.

Wiltshire Council reviewed recent collision data before making the decision to install traffic lights

The investment of an additional £2m into road safety schemes comes just months after Wiltshire Council closed the C20 spur road near the Black Dog Crossroads in an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).

Road safety campaigners had called the ETRO "absolutely mad" as it was predicted to lower accident numbers by only 30%.

Mr Holder explained the new decision: "We know that Black Dog crossroads needs safety improvements, and we have previously looked at other options to make it safer for all road users and were looking to widen the junction.

"However, this extra investment has enabled us to further explore the traffic lights option and it will allow us to install a suitable power supply, which will be in place next year."

Road Safety Campaigner Michael Maxwell has been calling for the installation of traffic lights for five years

Road safety campaigner Michael Maxwell has been campaigning for traffic lights on the Black Dog Crossroads for five years.

"The speed is a real problem because you're stopped in the Worton Road, and you have to turn onto a road and get up to a speed of at least 50mph in a very short space of time," he explained.

With cars soon having to come to a full stop at the junction, Mr Maxwell is convinced that "the improvement in accidents will be 100%, unless people break the law and jump a red light".

Works are set to begin in 2025 with the installation of the necessary power supply for the new traffic lights.