Friends of Cornford Lane
Friends of Cornford Lane

Safety

All users of the lane face continuing safety hazards, whether they walk, run, cycle or drive, but pedestrians are the most vulnerable in a road with neither speed limits nor pavement.

Gallery

Here are just some of the many accidents that have occurred in Cornford Lane.

Some (very ) Near Misses

And all residents of the lane daily face the hazards of the traffic. Here are just two accounts of the many near-misses experienced by those living in the lane:

 

'The large four-wheel-drive vehicle came around the corner so fast I had no time to take avoiding action; I don't think that the driver even noticed me at first but then she appeared to see me and jammed on the brakes, I closed my eyes, expecting an impact. Fortunately there wasn't an impact, but when I opened my eyes the car had stopped just inches away, so close in fact that without having to reach out I was able to put my hand on the bonnet. I have no doubt that if the driver had left her braking just a fraction later, then I would have been seriously injured or even killed.'

 

And from a parent of two young children:

 

I parked our car close to the fence and I got out and moved towards the boot, leaving the driver's door open so my 7 year-old son could jump across from the front passenger seat, into the driver's seat then out of the car. My daughter got out of the rear passenger door and waited by the open driver's door. My son was just out of the car when I heard the roar of an engine and looked up to see a large 4 wheel drive vehicle approaching at great speed.

 

My daughter, realising that the approaching vehicle could not pass without hitting the open door, slammed it shut and ran to safety. Fortunately my son didn't try to follow his sister - he wouldn't have made it - and instead he flattened himself against the side of our car as the vehicle went flying past.

 

I have no doubt at all that if my children hadn't made the decisions that they did in those few seconds, then either or both of them would have been killed.

They would not have stood a chance.  It is only by the smallest margin that the result of this was only two terrified and traumatised children and their equally traumatised parent's.

 

This the second of two very near misses involving children.

 

Only some weeks before, £3500's worth of damage was caused to this same family's car when it was hit whilst parked. The driver didn't stop.

At particular risk are the staff and residents of Aspens (formerley Pepenbury) Care Home whose buildings the lane bisects. This facility (ironically originally chosen to be set up in Cornford Lane due to its quiet, peaceful and safe location) provides care for some 140 disadvantaged adults  with 70 staff, many of whom daily walk in the lane. There have already been three incidents where staff have been injured by passing vehicles or when forced to leap out of the way for their own safety.

Do you want to see this...

Or this....

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