Bill Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Just a quick heads up about the “Access Only” notices on Smith Drive and Withers Avenue. I’ve not seen it here but it’s been on the Guardian news pages and it’s raised a whole load of comments because the police are having a big crackdown this week for anyone driving through the area. It’s been one of those things where for years, people seem to have simply ignored the signs and the police have not really done much about it. Now they’re handing out £30 on the spot fines to everyone driving down either road so be warned! Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 It was on the news pages on here 4 days ago Bill (12 Oct) http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/articles/14209/1/Police-warning-to-motorists/Page1.html I'm sure the police have far better things to be doing than having to man roads just because idiots ignore signs. I'd fine them double for wasting police time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skittles Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 I do not see why Smith Dr or Withers Ave should be an access only road. There are no schools or any reason to justify it being closed to through traffic. Although the residents could do with lessons on parking in the street. It would make far more sense to close Hallfields Rd to through traffic which runs along side of a park. Point out I do not live on Hallfields RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Just for interest, where do "the fines"/money finish up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Just for interest, where do "the fines"/money finish up? Police xmas party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadako Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 I got pulled last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 I got pulled last night. Too much information. :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Whoops sorry Diz I didn’t spot that one and I read the front pages mostly every day. Still if I can miss it I’m sure other can so better to be informed just in case. I’ve never driven down there since it’s been changed so I’ve nothing to worry about but I reckon that I’m part of a very small minority that takes the trouble to drive the extra half mile and sit in the queue for the traffic lights. For my money, residents shouldn’t have the right to declare their road closed to traffic especially when it was already an existing main traffic route. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 I got pulled last night. Wow! information overload! But lucky you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Bill, the "no access" was a result of a child being run over in the street - this was before the advent of road humps. I doubt Rod's 20mph would have sorted it either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadako Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Yes I know that but that was about 20 years ago but if every road that had a serious accident were closed to through traffic, the road infrastructure wouldn’t just be bad it’d be unworkable. It seems that every time there’s an accident, people expect the council respond to calls for road closure, cameras and speed bumps. It’s understandable but if a road isn’t identifiable as being high risk before an accident then it is just an unfortunate accident. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skittles Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 I fully agree with what Bill says above. I seem to recall the accident was due to the very young child being let out on her own rather then any fault with the road. If there is some good reason for the road to be restricted maybe Sergeant Paul Flynn should tell use what it is. Otherwise it is unfair that the residents of Smith Dr and Withers Avenue should have a vehicle free street while taking their vehicles onto roads were other people live and put other people children in danger with their cars and vans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 As I said; this accident occured prior to the programme of traffic calming; had it occured later, we may have had road humps rather than no access OR nowadays, a reliance on drivers keeping to 20mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 I have an uneasy suspicion that what’s happening at the moment owes more to the fact that the residents just don’t like the amount of traffic going down their road. I don’t know this, but the family who lost their child in the accident would probably have moved from the area by now as many do in these circumstances. I think it’s reasonable for everyone to be concerned about road safety but the concern has to be balanced against the needs of the rest of society and in this instance I believe the balance could be wrong. The residents are effectively demanding that drivers detour onto congested roads, with traffic lights, past a park but most bizarrely, past nearly twice as many homes. Now that doesn’t seem logical or right. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Think your reading a little bit too much into this Bill; the Police blitz various areas from time to time, catch a few folk and make money out of fines; then they move somewhere else and things return to normal. Which is why I asked where does the money from the fines go, is it supplementing the Police budget? :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Maybe if more people did read into things a bit deeper and tried to get to the facts then they’d find it all a bit shocking. Forget the revenue the police can make and consider what it cost the average motorist. The detour distance is half a mile so a regular commuter will do an additional 1 mile a day. The average cost of running a car is about £0.60 per mile so that’s £3 per week or about £150 per year. Factor in the additional lost time and even at minimum wage this is at least another £100 per year This has been in place for 20 years so would have cost each person a total of £5,000 during that time. Multiply that by the number that go down there and the cost to the community runs into millions. So if the police want to raise money then they’d be better off setting up tollbooth. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 How many times have you seen them do speed traps at various places? We don't have an inquiry into why a road is 30mph, it just is, and the coppers are enforcing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skittles Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 How many times have you seen them do speed traps at various places? We don't have an inquiry into why a road is 30mph, it just is, and the coppers are enforcing it. The 30mph limit applies to all the occupants of Smith Dr have an unfair advantage because of an emotional decision made many years ago. Edited to add: I am sure if there was a valid reason why the road is access only for example if it was running alongside a park, no one would be analyzing the reasons why it is access only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Since when did such decisions cease to be "emotional"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Observer I don’t have any issues with the police having crackdowns or sympathy for those that ignore the rules, but I believe it’s right to question whether or not residents should have the power to close what was previously a primary route. The situation has not been strictly enforced for a long time and that leads to people to take chances but then again, I think the police are often very reluctant to take unpopular actions where the result simply transfers the problem to another area. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza1946 Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 In answer to an earlier question.......fines levied by police fixed penalty tickets and court fines go directly to the Exchequer.......there used to be a system when a proportion of certain speeding fines could be returned to Speed Camera Partnerships to promote speed camera projects ( Government speak for buying more speed cameras !!!) but I believe that has now finished. In short, the police do not get any of the fines cash collected !!!! As for the Smith Drive/Withers Ave situation.....if you can 'state' a reason for needing access to these areas, you have every right to use them !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 As for the Smith Drive/Withers Ave situation.....if you can 'state' a reason for needing access to these areas, you have every right to use them !!!! "I need access officer because this is the way my sat nav brought me...." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingoDave Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 I live on Padgate Lane and the traffic outside my front door makes it extremely difficult for me to get to my car sometimes and the local children have to cross a very dangerous road to get to school. Can I now apply to have this closed to traffic which is not actually stopping here? I'm sure I can get an equivalent number of the residents to second my petition. Some drivers just use this as a "rat run"; getting away from Manchester Road, so it is obviously a valid argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 I live on Padgate Lane and the traffic outside my front door makes it extremely difficult for me to get to my car sometimes and the local children have to cross a very dangerous road to get to school. Can I now apply to have this closed to traffic which is not actually stopping here? I'm sure I can get an equivalent number of the residents to second my petition. Some drivers just use this as a "rat run"; getting away from Manchester Road, so it is obviously a valid argument. Why not just make Warrington a car free town and have done with it? I don't mind avoiding all of Warrington. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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