Calls for new safety measures on the A38 near Burton have led to some readers describing the route as the "road from hell".
Motorists in Burton and South Derbyshire have been sharing their views on what could be done to the dual carriageway after shock figures which showed that there were 18 crashes on just one two-mile stretch near Burton in the last five years.
While some called the major route the "road from hell" and would welcomed new safety measures, including lowering the speed limit on the entire section around Burton, others believed a lower speed limit would be ineffective and that speed cameras would be a better option.
Crashes included a serious one last week when a car driver was injured in a collision with a lorry on the two-mile stretch between A513 at Alrewas and the junction at Fradley Lane. On Tuesday, February 13, there were three incidents, one of which caused a fuel spillage which saw one lane of the route near Branston closed for more than six hours.
Laura Lee said on the Burton Mail's Facebook page: "The problem isn’t speed so much as it is poor driving. For example the slip road at Willington is short but everyone still sits in the slow lane doing 40mph. It is just poor judgement and poor skills. I have seen cars joining the A38 and they just sit in the slow lane instead of moving over. The only other thing is to make it average speed with cameras."
Helen Elliott uses the road four times a day and called it the "road from hell".
She said: "So many think the speed limits are not for them with lorries constantly overtaking each other causing the traffic to slow right down and most of the time you can’t pull over to allow traffic to filter in but they just pull out anyway causing more problems. It is the road from hell and I hate it."
Matthew Hanson said the road was not designed for the volume of traffic that uses it, saying: "The slip roads are too short for small cars to get enough speed. A new express way is needed between Derby and Birmingham rather than the HS2 rail plan."
Most people agreed with Danny Kreft who said a speed camera-enforced limit of 50mph between Lichfield and Derby was the only way to make this "inadequate road" safer.
Rachael Holmes said: "Cameras are the way to go if you want to slow down the traffic. There is a 60mph area nobody takes any notice. People's driving habits are to blame not just the road."
David Betts said: "They have speed restrictions at Branston but drivers ignore it. There needs to be a speed camera installed" while Louise Cadd said: "Just put speed cameras up. I am sick of the idiots that keep weaving in and out but it doesn’t help either with some of the potholes near Barton. The speed has been restricted to 60mph at Branston and accidents still happen there."
Roger Cookson believes that lowering the speed limit is "the wrong thing to do." He said: "It is blindingly obvious, if people are ignoring the current one they are not going to stick to a lower one. I am no advocate for cameras but what is needed is 24/7 enforcement of the limit."
However Abigail Newey believes that "speed isn’t the problem, it is the people who don’t know how to use it," a thought echoed by Pete Wilkes who said the standard of driving on the A38 is "pathetic".
He added: "People need to learn how to join, change lanes and when to use the outside lane. Learn how to drive properly or catch a bus."
The Burton Mail reported that there have been 18 accidents on the two-mile section of road on the north and southbound carriageways. Two people were killed in separate crashes, according the website CrashMap, which is compiled by collision analysts and road safety professionals.
There were two other serious crashes in which people were injured. The other 14 were minor incidents and the drivers were not injured.
Burton MP Andrew Griffiths has long campaigned for the speed limit on the dual carriageway to be lowered and led the campaign that saw the speed limit on the section of the A38 between Barton and Branston being reduced in 2014 to 60mph, following a series of very serious accidents.
He said it remained clear to me that more needs to be done.
He wants speed checks to take place on the route and has written to the police on the matter.
What Burton Mail readers had to say:
Simon Newey said: "It is not speed as such it is inappropriate speed be it is too fast or too slow. Some of the slip roads are too short but many drivers do not accelerate enough to join the road at a safe speed. Drivers on the carriageway do not show consideration and move across to lane two when safe to allow vehicles to safely join the carriageway or drivers in lane one do not ease off to allow vehicles to join."
Adrian Moss added: "The problem isn’t the speed. It is people not knowing how to join a dual carriageway and having no idea about their surroundings."
Lisa Turner suggested putting in 50mph average speed cameras between Lichfield and Burton. She said: "I have a relative that lives in Wychnor, the very short slipway for exiting and entering the A38 is just so dangerous when you have lorries and cars travelling at the speeds they do."
Stirling Bridgen said the "volume of traffic that uses the road is just too busy".
He said: "Monday saw yet another accident past the Branston turn off that caused chaos in the area, a new road is the only answer in my opinion. The A38 is a major north and south route but it gets used like a motorway - M38?"
Sophie Sallis claimed to have see 12 people on their phones while in her friend’s car on one day.
She said: "One lady was all over the place in two lanes then where you have the slip road at Branston water park she nearly went into the middle reservation."
Paul William simply said: "It is not the speed or the road it is the drivers' at fault."
Nick Page said there was "no point just lowering the speed limit". He said: "Look at the 60 mph stretch already there, hardly anyone sticks to it. It needs cameras to curb speed because it seems the only way people slow down."
Steve Hopkins said the biggest issue is that "nobody leaves the appropriate distance between the vehicle in front of them". While Angela Sims said: "Not everyone wants to drive like nutters. I think it should be 50."
