Make sheppey bridge safe to cross
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Guest#327 Jul 03, 2014, 23:03
Get this bridge closed it's causing to many dangers to the public
Guest#328 Jul 03, 2014, 23:04
Get it closed
Guest#329 Jul 04, 2014, 03:17
My heartfelt condolences to the family of those who tragically lost their lives on the Sheppey Bridge on 1/7/14. As someone who uses the bridge regularly, I'm always amazed by other drivers' sudden rush of aggression as they begin the ascent to the bridge when driving west towards Sittingbourne. It's as if their life suddenly depends upon flooring the accelerator. Are they trying to unleash their anger? Trying to prove themselves to other drivers? Trying to get home a few seconds earlier? I honestly don't understand it. I hope the authorities will finally realise the bridge has a lethal combination of problems: the lack of a hard shoulder, the blind summit, and the tendency of drivers to treat it as a drag racing track. I'm opposed to speed cameras in general as they're normally used as nothing more than cash machines by the government, but this is one of the rare places where they might actually serve as a deterrent (albeit not to vehicles with foreign number plates).
Guest#330 Jul 04, 2014, 07:38
We all have a right to safety on our roads
Grumpy#331 Jul 04, 2014, 11:09
Re:
This is the most sensible post so far. If all drivers concentrated on the job in hand and left everything else until they stopped,all our roads would be much safer, not just the Sheppey Crossing.
Guest#332 Jul 04, 2014, 16:06
Should use old bridge along with new bridge. One way traffic on each bridge, lesson the danger as it would spread the number of cars between two bridges as opposed to the current one.
meme#333 Jul 05, 2014, 01:51
Bridge???
Sheppey fought for this bridge, the old bridge was slated, now the new bridge is slated .... how many years after building it ! If these accidents had happens just before or over the bridge would it have been the bridges fault then. 2 major accidents that have been in the press is due to idiot drivers on the road. These idiots could have caused accidents on or off the bridge and its just co-incidental that they happened on the bridge. The recent accident was nothing to do with lighting on bridge, nothing to do with speeding, nothing to do with bad weather so why does the bridge get the blame?? The bloke who got arrested wont be using his mobile phone when spending time in elmly. If the bridge was closed and you all had to use the old bridge guaranteed to go up and cause traffic tail backs in rush hour you'de all be moaning again, just cant win. Maybe motorists need to act abit more responsibly in their vehicles instead of being on mobile phones, doing their make up, picking their noses etc !
Vicky Matthews#334 Jul 05, 2014, 16:21
The bridge needs a hard shoulder, street lights and breakdown/ emergency telephones to help make it safer. It is such a tragic loss of lifes which could have been prevented if the bridge had been built with these in the first place or when the huge pile up happened last year.
Profetional Driver#335 Jul 05, 2014, 17:15
So just to recap, we need a hard shoulder. And the only way we can have one of those, is to make the crossing single lane causing traffic jams morning and evening, and causing more danger as traffic slows and cuts in on one another. Over head lighting, so we can save our electricity by not using the lights that are already attached to our cars. Emergency telephones, so we can get out of our cars and, in the case of last years pile up, get crushed in the ongoing accident. Matrix signs (not too bad an idea) Of course, when you can't see it, it's foggy. Cameras, not of great use in the fog, but I understand that request. Or more sensible driving. Not using your phones, Get your ear phones out of your ears, Stop eating your sausage roll and drinking your coffee that you just bought a Queenborough corner. Stop doing your makeup (yup, seen this too)Stop tailgating. But why bother with any of those, it's the crossings fault you know!!!
Rich#336 Jul 06, 2014, 18:49
R.i.p to the mum and son that sadly lost their life.......... After this accident I still go over the bridge and no one has slowed down today I see a van broken down going up te bridge and still people trying to dodge him like lunatics slow down for god sake no more lives please avarage speed checks and down to 1 lane would make it so much safer and still traffic would flow fine even at rush hour
Guest#337 Jul 08, 2014, 15:14
Nothing wrong with the bridge. The fault is with drivers. Phones/ipods/food/drinks/speed/tailgating/lack of attention are the causes, not the bridge. Average speed cameras might work. Compulsory re-testing every driver every two years certainly would help.
Guest#338 Jul 08, 2014, 16:43
I had a nasty accident going over the bridge myself and ended up in hospital fortunatley with only bad whiplash and my car was written off! I use the bridge frequently and i think it is a terrible design and wonder just how many accidents it will take for something to be done about it!! In my casr a black car had broken down and after 20mins its hazard lights were failing causing me to swerve around the car to miss it and i ended up going inbetween the crash barriers multiple times which was terrifying! Had there been a lane for the broken down car to break down into then i would not have been forced into this dangerous situation which was no fault of my own or the drivers! I an verysad to heat of the recent death of the poor mother and child and i really hope something is done about it sooner rather than later.
Mr Reality#339 Jul 08, 2014, 17:21
Natural reactions
Incredible how everyone actually blames an inanimate object for their errors. The bridge is great and has transformed life on Sheppey. It's not the bridge's fault, it's YOU. The fact that it is a bridge is irrelevant.
It does not need any changes. It needs people to drive to the rules, weather and traffic conditions.
Even if we went back to having a man walking with a red flag in front of us all thee would be collisions. Everyone needs to grow up, stop living in cloud cuckoo land, take responsibility and any problems will disappear. Sadly this will not happen as we are all human and largely will not change our behaviours. So sad for all victims, past, present and future.
It does not need any changes. It needs people to drive to the rules, weather and traffic conditions.
Even if we went back to having a man walking with a red flag in front of us all thee would be collisions. Everyone needs to grow up, stop living in cloud cuckoo land, take responsibility and any problems will disappear. Sadly this will not happen as we are all human and largely will not change our behaviours. So sad for all victims, past, present and future.
knock it down#341 Jul 08, 2014, 20:54
Knock both bridges down an push the island out to see. Its the people from that island that think they can do what they like and cause accidents. Typical traveller in a white van showing off and then 2 lives are taken
Guest#342 Jul 08, 2014, 21:01
Swale Borough Council sat on the money for this for over two years - two choices, bridge or tunnel. How long will wait until they improve it?
Guest#343 Jul 09, 2014, 04:01
Nothing wrong with the bridge - just people not paying adequate attention.
Leave the speed limit at 70, don't bother with lights (they would have made no difference in the fog that morning, I drove over the bridge an hour before that accident) and those who feel it's unsafe are free to use the old bridge with its 40 limit. No reason whatsoever to delay everyone else who feels the bridge is safe.
--Sheppey resident of 32 years
Guest#344 Jul 09, 2014, 07:17
It should not have taken the loss of two lifes to finaly get something done about this poorly designed bridge. There are no cameras and no where safe to go if anyone brakes down. And personaly witnessed young boy tacers doing over 100mph coming on to the bridge. How many more lifes and accedients will it take to get something done!
Guest#345 Jul 09, 2014, 07:51
Such a tragic loss.
Guest#346 Jul 09, 2014, 14:32
A tragic loss that maybe could have been prevented
A tragic loss I agree. And I for one do not know the circumstances. But I feel that people a far to quick to blame the road when in fact it is 99% the case that poor driving and decision making are the reasons.
Far to often it is a combination of a drivers speed, driving to close and poor decision making that causes accidents and near misses, as witnessed numerous times in passing over this bridge, when people are careless in their maneuvers when overtaking without properly looking in their mirrors to assess the traffic closing in on them.
Street lights would not have helped in this particular situation nor in the fog last year(it actually creates more of a glare),people turning on their vehicles fog lights may have helped, and keeping a safe distance and reducing to an appropriate speed maybe. And the reason there are no street lights is partly due to the fact that people at the time were more concerned about birds on the nature reserve not knowing what time of day it was! And if you really can't see then it is worrying that you're driving at all.
All of the reducing lanes and speed limits, would soon become a topic to moan about as it slows your journeys down to a crawl each day. There is a footpath each side of the bridge which can be used as a means of pulling to the edge of the carriageway almost out of the lane assuming your vehicle has the ability to get over there.
I agree that lorries should not be allowed to overtake over the bridge and that potentially an average speed camera for the bridge section only should be put in place as a deterrent, but this should not replace common sense and the overriding responsibility we all have as drivers.
Far to often it is a combination of a drivers speed, driving to close and poor decision making that causes accidents and near misses, as witnessed numerous times in passing over this bridge, when people are careless in their maneuvers when overtaking without properly looking in their mirrors to assess the traffic closing in on them.
Street lights would not have helped in this particular situation nor in the fog last year(it actually creates more of a glare),people turning on their vehicles fog lights may have helped, and keeping a safe distance and reducing to an appropriate speed maybe. And the reason there are no street lights is partly due to the fact that people at the time were more concerned about birds on the nature reserve not knowing what time of day it was! And if you really can't see then it is worrying that you're driving at all.
All of the reducing lanes and speed limits, would soon become a topic to moan about as it slows your journeys down to a crawl each day. There is a footpath each side of the bridge which can be used as a means of pulling to the edge of the carriageway almost out of the lane assuming your vehicle has the ability to get over there.
I agree that lorries should not be allowed to overtake over the bridge and that potentially an average speed camera for the bridge section only should be put in place as a deterrent, but this should not replace common sense and the overriding responsibility we all have as drivers.
Guest#347 Jul 10, 2014, 12:57
Sad sad loss :(
Guest#348 Jul 10, 2014, 13:32
If ever I go off the island I always take the old bridge, I personally prefer it. I know the new bridge was made to make commuting a lot quicker and to ease congestion but the people who designed it and allocated money for the project shouldn't be sleeping easy if you ask me. It seems as of it was rushed at the cheapest
Budget. Possible. There's no need for all the loss and headache, it has to be one of the most dangerous crossings in our area. So like i say I think I feel safer if I'm driving with my child to go on the old crossing. People may see me as ridiculous and so be it. It's a shame really the idea of the crossing is fantastic so I back the petition 100% to make it safer .
Budget. Possible. There's no need for all the loss and headache, it has to be one of the most dangerous crossings in our area. So like i say I think I feel safer if I'm driving with my child to go on the old crossing. People may see me as ridiculous and so be it. It's a shame really the idea of the crossing is fantastic so I back the petition 100% to make it safer .
Guest#349 Jul 11, 2014, 14:44
This stretch of road is lethal and parts not even level as as u come off bridge towards sheppy there is a nasty camber on the road
Guest#350 Jul 11, 2014, 17:29
i feel very sad for the family and i did no them so upsetting hope they get all the signatures my thoughts are with you angels in heaven
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Re:
#10: -
this was not speed it was a driver on his phone .