20 Mph Zone 'Routinely Ignored' By Drivers In Grove Park

Residents lodge petition for extra traffic measures on Sutton Court Road

Residents on Sutton Court Road say they have become more and more dismayed with both the speed and noise of traffic since parking restrictions have been put into place.

"The new 20mph speed limit is routinely ignored with motorists enjoying a clear road with no parked cars and ‘accelerating’ between junctions and zebra crossings," said a spokesperson.

A petition has now been lodged with Hounslow Council to install some additional traffic calming solutions to stop motorist breaking the speed limit. The petition calls for more signs, speed cameras or physical calming ramps to keep the speed to 20 mph and safer for all.

The closing date to sign the petition, which currently has over 30 signatures, is 7 July 2018.

"The 20 mph limit is there for a simple reason – at that speed adults and children will survive being hit by a car whereas at 30mph plus there is far less chance. We all know the amount of children who use the road to get to the schools at Grove Park and Chiswick school," said the local resident who set up the petition.

The spokesperson added that in a recent accident on Sutton Court with a child being knocked over – the driver was travelling at less than 20 mph and child escaped with a fractured hip and bruises. The police said another 10 mph and the result would have been very different.

Hounslow Council introduced 20 mph zones across the borough including Chiswick High Road and side streets, in a phased basis, over the past two years, starting with a 20 mph limit around schools and surrounding streets.

20 mph limits around schools will be in place by the end of 2017 but the implementation to residential streets across the borough will take up to four years.

The move was part of a London-wide plan to curb urban speeds in residential areas. In June 2015, the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced his target to halve the number of people killed or injured on London's roads by 2020.

Some 175 miles of residential streets, about a quarter of London’s roads, already have 20mph limits. 20mph zones have already been imposed in residential areas in Camden, Islington and the City of London.

June 22, 2018