Pedestrian crossings introduced at a notorious accident blackspot in Esher, Surrey have done little to help prevent road accidents in the area, according to police data.

Online publisher www.getsurrey.co.uk reports that there has been no reduction in car crashes and related incidents at the junction of Lammas Lane and Church Street in Esher since changes were made to the road layout in 2007 and 2008.

Local residents say that the crossings have not slowed down traffic as drivers approach the junction.

Despite efforts of the local council to improve road safety in the area, figures for road traffic accidents have remained constant for the last five years – and since October 2008, when the pedestrian crossings were installed, there have been five road accidents.

Police statistics reveal that, up to the end of October in 2009, five crashes resulting in injuries occurred.

In 2005, five road accidents involving injuries were recorded; in 2006, an accident involving one slight injury and one fatality were recorded. In 2007, six accidents that resulting in injuries were recorded – and in 2008, there were seven road accidents resulting in injuries at the junction. Police say that the fatality in the 2006 road accident occurred as the result of ‘natural causes’.

The police figures only record road accidents that result in injury or a breach of the law such as drink-driving, however – meaning that the overall number of road traffic incidents at the junction may actually be much higher.

Local residents are calling for a ‘give way’ sign to remind drivers to slow down at the junction – this, they claim, would be cheaper than installing a roundabout, which would not be possible because the land is common land owned by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

Local councillors claimed that that the pedestrian crossings should have improved public safety at the junction, but conceded that there were still ‘huge problems’ at the junction. One of the latest road accidents occurred when a Jeep Cherokee 4x4 hit a lamp post after colliding with a Volkswagen Golf near the junction.

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