Tonight I visited the spot where 2 toddlers were killed after being hit by a car that had just been hit by another. This sounds like a freak chain of events until you spend a few minutes at the junction where it happened. When you do, you see that all the ingredients are in place to mean that, while not inevitable, some tragedy was likely to happen.

I had been sent a link to an ePetition earlier in the day and while studying road layouts is not something I make a habit of, this story was so awful, yet so close to home, that I was interested to understand what had contributed to it.

It was a chilling site with the pile of now dried out flowers and still the yellow, spray-painted markings showing the path of the cars and what I imagine is the final position of the pushchairs.

I have no link to the people involved, nor is it a junction I use very often. My concern and support for this cause has nothing to do with me being a cyclist either – although it does bring road dangers into sharper focus.
I’m not sure either that a petition is the right thing to do, but what else is there? How else can fellow human beings show compassion and tell someone that those kids didn’t need to die like that?
And of course the road layout wasn’t entirely to blame. Unless there was some mechanical failure, it is safe to assume that someone did something they shouldn’t have and I feel sorry for them having to live with that for the rest of their lives. But if those 4 lanes narrowing to one, or the illegally parked cars did contribute, shouldn’t we at least try to get something done about it?

You can follow links to the petition below and I hope you will join me in showing that the death of two young children should not be tolerated and something positive must come out of this…

From Rob, “I was horrified and not in the least bit shocked by the fatal accident at the Junction of Narborough Road and Braunstone Gate earlier this month. I requested the council allow me to launch an ePetition and the approval came through at the weekend. I was hesitant in hind-sight about sharing it, fearing appearing like a little-Englander. However, while waiting at that junction yesterday I saw one car jump a red light and a van take an illegal right turn. Please sign my petition if you are as concerned about the safety of people at this junction. “

Link to the ePetition

Bylem przerazony i zaszokowany okropnym wypadkiem, ktory zdarzyl sie na skrzyzowaniu Narborough Road i Braunstone Gate na poczatku tego miesiaca.

Zarzadalem od Urzedu Miasta zeby pozwolili mi zapoczatkowac ePetycje. W zeszly weekend otrzymalem pozwolenie.

Kiedy wczoraj czekalem na tym skrzyzowaniu, widzialem samochod, ktory przejechal na czerwonym swietle oraz busa, ktory skrecil w niedozwolonym miejscu.

Prosze podpisz moja Petycje, jesli tez jestes zaniepokojony bezpieczenstwem ludzi na tym skrzyzowaniu.

Mowi ona:

MY, nizej podpisani rzadamy od Urzedu Miasta, zeby sprawdzil konstrukcje skrzyzowania Braunstone Gate i Narborough Road w LE3 oraz, zeby skontrolowal obecne przepisy drogowe, aby upewnic sie, ze bezpieczenstwo pieszych oraz rowerzystow nie jest zagrozone, szczegolnie po tragicznym wypadku oraz smierci dwoch dzieci z dnia 6 sierpnia 2012.

Predkosc pojazdow przy tym skrzyzowaniu znacznie wzrosla, od kiedy droga zostala poszerzona ze wzgledu na nowo otwarty supermarket.

Ograniczenia predkosci oraz przepisy ruchu drogowego przy Braunstone Gate sa ignorowane oraz nie sa egzekwowane, co zagraza bezpieczenstwu osob pieszych oraz rowerzystow.

Rzadamy:

– Egzekwowania podwójnych żółtych linii na przeciwko fryzjera na Braunstone Gate.
– Egzekwowania zakazu postoju – Zig-Zagow przy przejsciu dla pieszych na skrzyżowaniu Braunstone Gate, oraz zbadanie jego konstrukcji
– Egzekwowania ograniczenia prędkości na całym skrzyżowaniu, gdzie Narborough Road zwęża się z 3 do 2 pasów wokół tego skrzyżowania
– Zainstalowania kamery ruchu ulicznego, ktora przylega do czerwonych świateł, gdy jedzie sie w kierunku zachodnim na Narborough Road
– Egzekwowania zakazu skretu w prawo od Hinckley Road do Narborough Road
–
Ta ePetycja trwa od 07/08/2012 do 04/09/2012 i można ja znaleźć na http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk/mgEPetition

http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=36&RPID=5982066&HPID=5982066