Eastbourne residents call for safety measures on major road following collisions

Local resident Kerry Duinhoven said she doesn’t use Beachy Head Road anymore as ‘it doesn’t feel safe’.

The road has been the location of several crashes, including one, in April, where a woman, 29, sadly died at the scene.

A month later, a motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital with ‘life-changing injuries’ – according to Sussex Police – following a collision on the same road.

Residents have expressed concerns over a stretch of the road – which is national speed limit – and have called for new safety measures to be put in place. Others believe it’s the responsibility of motorists to use the road safely.

Tim Smith suggested: “Reduce the speed to 40, speed bumps, ANPR cameras, more policing and, if all that fails, put in a toll so that people have to pay to use that road; Eastbourne resident card holders would go free."

Sammi-Jay Richardson said the speed limit is ‘not the issue’.

She said: “The issue is that regardless of whether it is a 60 or a 40 people will still be doing 20mph looking at the scenery as opposed to the road and paying attention."

Laurence Williams added: “It's the drivers that need to be more responsible for the way they drive and where they are parking.

"Best thing to do is reduce the speed limit to 40mph and have parking restrictions along the verges at Birling gap to stop people parking on the grass verges. Send parking wardens down there and ticket anyone that doesn't obey the parking restrictions."

While East Sussex County Council said it ‘noted residents’ concerns’, the authority has ‘no plans’ to make changes to the road.

A spokesperson said: “There are no plans to introduce a lower speed limit or traffic calming measures at Beachy Head Road.

"We have a finite amount of funding to develop local road safety and transport improvements and, with the considerable costs involved, we need to ensure that we target our resources to those schemes which will be of greatest benefit to our local communities.

“Where motorists are driving illegally and dangerously, we would urge residents to report this directly to Sussex Police.”

Sussex Police added that drivers ‘need to be vigilant’.

A spokesperson for the police force said: “Throughout the year, Sussex Police works with partners to carry out enforcement checks and patrols every day to catch offenders who may be putting others, and themselves at risk.

“We urge drivers to be speed aware and drive safely.”

Paramedic Jennie McFarlane said she has attended two emergency incidents on the road and believes the fault lies in the use of Shooters Bottom Car Park.

She said: “It’s easy to place blame on the motorbike or the car but, to be honest, it’s always been related to the use of the car park.

"I definitely think the car park should be closed to help prevent similar incidents happening.”

We took this concern to Eastbourne Borough Council which runs the car park.

A spokesperson said: “If the car park is identified within a safety audit as a contributory factor to accidents on that road, we will work with East Sussex County Council as the highways authority, to mitigate the issues.”

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