WORRIED parents who ‘take their lives in their hands’ taking their children to school are calling for safety improvements to a ‘dangerous’ road in Mount Nod.
A petition signed by over 260 people is calling for the installation of a safe crossing point and a full review of road safety along Alderminster Road.
They say the road has become increasingly dangerous to cross – particularly at a blind bend near shops on Wilmcote Green which is a crossing point for parents to reach Mount Nod Primary School and St John Vianney Catholic Primary School.
Resident and mum Rebecca Brady said: “I find crossing the road at Aynho Close particularly challenging. The blind bend and the speed of approaching vehicles make it dangerous.
“Installing a crossing would benefit everyone accessing the shops, services, and schools in the area.”
Fellow resident and dad Luke Busby said crossing the road during the school run was ‘very challenging’.
He added: “I have a young child in a pushchair, and my autistic son who doesn’t fully understand the dangers. Explaining to them why we must walk higher up the road to cross, and sometimes run across due to speeding cars, is difficult.
“Cars zoom around the corner or down the hill without regard for pedestrians. My mother, a lollipop lady, has also noted how bad it is. Traffic measures would benefit school children, local families, and the elderly community.”
Resident Victoria said the junction was challenging and unsafe for pedestrians, adding: “Motorists often approach the bend at speed, forcing pedestrians to take risks when attempting to cross.”
A group of Woodlands Ward Councillors who have been campaigning for improvements for years say Coventry City Council had ‘dismissed’ previous concerns raised about the road, where two well-publicised crashes took place in 2017 – when a car crashed into a house – and in 2023 when a car crashed into a house and telegraph pole before bursting into flames.
Responding to a petition in 2023, the council said the road did not meet the criteria for its safety programme because there were no personal injury collisions recorded by the police in the previous three years, and only locations where six or more such incidents have occurred are considered.
The petition will be presented by Coun Gary Ridley who said: “Parents shouldn’t have to take their lives into their hands getting their kids to school. There is real anger.
“This road is dangerous, and action is long overdue so officials must stop dragging their feet. Are they really prepared to wait for six serious accidents before they do something?”
A Coventry City Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the concerns about traffic flows and speeds on Alderminster Road. We have established policies setting out how road safety schemes are prioritised and also work closely with West Midlands Police on the identification and implementation of Average Speed Enforcement schemes, with strict criteria applied that need to be satisfied before schemes are added to the programme.
“We are reviewing the data on traffic flows and speeds on Alderminster Road and the outcome of these will determine if we undertake any work.
“In the meantime, there is a variable message sign on the road to remind drivers to slow down.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/bddu7fva to sign the petition.
