EDITOR – I simply could not let the recent letter from Goofy regarding St Augustine’s Road and “calming humps” go unchallenged. Goofy is quite correct when she says “the road itself is innocent, and does not deserve to be punished with humps”. Guns are also “innocent” in themselves, but annually many thousands are killed by the careless use of firearms. I have lived in Escombe for 42 years, and probably use St Augustine Road almost every day.
Before St Augustine Road was used as an alternative route to Old Main Road, it was a relatively quiet road. It is now a busy road at almost any time of the day. The most dangerous part of this road is on the bend where St Augustine Road intersects with St Augustine Crescent. There is a solid white line about 50 meters before and after the St Augustine Crescent intersection, but I have observed many vehicles crossing this solid white line to cut the corner.
One cannot see what is coming up or down St Augustine Road because of the bend, thus making it extremely dangerous to cross this line. I would go as far as to say from personal observation, that at least 80 per cent of vehicles going in both directions, cross this solid white line. I have nearly been taken out three times by speeding vehicles who could not negotiate the bend, and crossed this barrier line.
Goofy might not be aware that a motor cyclist lost his life on this bend, and the houses on the left hand side going down the road, have had many vehicles smash through their boundary fences. Driving too close to the vehicle in front is not the cause of these near misses and accidents, it is pure speed. This is why traffic calming humps, (especially near the bend/intersection), are urgently required to force motorists to lower their speed.
Hugh Acton
Escombe
