Petition launched for new safety measures on "deadly" Huddersfield crossroads
For residents on the crossroads of Cobcroft Road and Percy Street in Huddersfield, accidents have become a “regular” occurrence
Councillors have launched a petition over “serious” fears a crossroads in Huddersfield may end up “killing someone”.
For residents on the crossroads of Cobcroft Road and Percy Street in Huddersfield, accidents have become a “regular” occurrence, according to Kirklees Councillor, Toby Cooper.
Since starting his term as a councillor in May, “at least three” severe crashes have been reported to him – including one where a person had to be physically cut out of their car.
Footage obtained by the Local Democracy Service dates back as far as 2019, with one video showing a woman walking down the street, before being crushed into a wall by a car-on-car collision.
“It’s a miracle someone hasn’t been killed”, said Cllr Cooper.
“The fire service has had to take the roofs off of cars because the crashes have been so severe…It’s right next to Birkby Junior School, and is just up the road from various community centres and a large GP practice… It’s a really serious issue and one of the worst roads in Birkby in terms of safety.”
Cllr Cooper also shared fears of the “sheer amount” of resources being pulled to the road, every time an accident occurred, with one crash requiring three ambulances and a fire service vehicle.
Cllr Cooper explained that while he was able to get a ‘Give Way’ sign installed, it’s “just the start” of what needs to happen in order to make the road safer.
Cllr Cooper said: “Much more needs to be done to tackle collisions on this crossroads, which is why we started the petition. Once Cabinet meetings resume in September, we will take the petition to the council in hopes of achieving greater improvements to the zone.”
Speaking on the petition, Executive Director for Place, David Shepherd, said: “Improving road safety in our communities is a priority for the council, and we’re committed to our Vision Zero pledge of making our roads safer by eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
“The petition has been received and allocated to a member of our Road Safety Team. The officer will conduct a detailed investigation of the crossroads and assess any road safety measures in place.
“Petitions such as this one are a valuable tool for communities to raise their concerns. Any petition which is submitted to Kirklees Council is processed in accordance with our Petition Scheme, details of which are on our website.”