Car with child on board rear-ended at ‘dangerous’ Laois crossroad
‘I witnessed cars overtaking the minute they come down that Y in the road’
A Laois councillor has described one of three recent collisions on a Laois crossroads that he is pleading with Laois County Council to make safer.
Fine Gael Cllr Barry Walsh, Cathaoirleach of Portlaoise Municipal District, says a serious accident is waiting to happen, at Cashel Cross in Ballyroan.
“I’ve no doubt over the years this has been a constant talking point. If you just stood there for five minutes you’d see how dangerous the traffic coming onto that road is. Especially for cars trying to exit their houses.
I’ve had numerous motions, we’ve tried various things like increasing the solid white line, it’s just not working.
“Just this morning I was travelling early, and I witnessed cars overtaking the minute they come down that Y in the road. It’s just so dangerous.
“There was three collisions recently and near misses. One of them involved a car turning right into a property. There was a young child in the back of the car, and the car was rear ended.
“Thankfully there was no serious issues there but, we need a better solution.
“It’s a serious accident waiting to happen,” Cllr Walsh said.
He tabled a motion to the September meeting of the district, suggesting what might work.
He suggests a flashing warning beacon, “strict no overtaking” road markings and signs.
“In addition, vehicles illegally overtaking others turning into residential properties are creating a persistent and serious hazard. I request that the roads section carry out a safety assessment and implement the required engineered measures to prevent further accidents,” Cllr Walsh said.
Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald seconded the motion.
“There’s a lot of work done over the years, but now with the volume of traffic there’s more work needed there to make it safe, without a shadow of a doubt.
The response from the district engineer Wes Wilkinson is to agree to meet Cllr Walsh at Cashel Cross to examine the safety issues, with a view to seeking funding from the Low Cost Safety Scheme.