Danger at the school gates

David Masters says that if nothing is done a serious accident or even a tragedy is inevitable. David is on the staff at Glyne Gap School and says he has his heart in his mouth at what he sees as he goes to work in the mornings.

Glyne Gap special needs school and Pebsham Community Primary School have adjoining sites at School Place. Where School Place meets Hastings Road - the busy A269 - the county council recently introduced pinch-points.

The idea was to narrow the main road to make it easier for the crossing warden to shepherd pupils across safely. The problem, says David, occurs in the morning when early-risers among Pebsham's pupils arrive at the junction before the crossing warden comes on duty.

So great a volume of traffic pours down Hastings Road in the rush-hour that the tail-back from Glyne Gap roundabout often extends far up beyond School Place.

Many drivers needing to take the outside lane at the roundabout are tempted if there is no oncoming traffic to pull out and pass the stationary line as they pass the school crossing point.

"Often a child waiting to cross will see that there is nothing coming up the road and that the line of traffic coming down is static and will run out - not having seen the overtaking vehicle because it is hidden.

"If you stand there for five minutes you can see it happen four or five times. There will be a bad accident there - there's no doubt about it.

"It really needs double white lines at that point to stop traffic coming down to the roundabout from overtaking at the crossing point."

Divisional county highways engineer Graham Furness said: "I am aware of the situation. It is difficult to know what can be done about it.

"I will certainly get the traffic team to take a look at it. But if someone is going to drive down the wrong side of the road at a designated school crossing point I don't think a double white line is going to stop them.

"It is sheer bad driving and impatience. People will not wait just a few minutes. I have even seen people overtake by going on the wrong side of the island there."

Pictured: The danger road. H05535g.