A woman devastated after her cat was killed on a road which is a “speeding blackspot” has started a petition to call for traffic calming measures to be introduced.
When Coleen Houlihan posted on Facebook that her children’s beloved cat – 15-month-old Kalahari – had been killed by a car speeding on Grace Way in Stevenage, she received many responses from people saying drivers regularly exceed the 30mph limit on that road.
In fact, 173 Notices of Intended Prosecution were issued by Herts police to drivers allegedly caught speeding on Grace Way by a mobile speed camera between January and March this year.
Coleen – who lives in Grace Way – is determined to take action, and is worried a child could be hit if nothing is done about the problem.
She said: “People don’t pay any attention to the speed limit. When I’m going 30mph I regularly get overtaken by people going much faster.
“It’s a long straight road with pretty much nothing on it to stop you from speeding. The speed indicator sign is no deterrent.”
Coleen says witnesses saw a speeding car hit her cat, almost a year to the day since another of her cats was hit and killed by a car on the same stretch of road.
She said: “How many cats have to be hit before it is a child?
“It is a busy road with several schools nearby and many houses facing onto it. It is just a matter of time before a person is seriously injured.
“There are always children around, making their way to school, and some action needs to be taken. It’s a speeding blackspot.”
Coleen has started a petition asking Herts County Council to introduce traffic calming measures – which could include speed bumps and a fixed speed camera – and intends to go door to door along Grace Way, asking for people’s signatures.
Sergeant Mark Williams, from the Stevenage Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Tackling speeding is a priority for us in Stevenage and where operationally possible we patrol Grace Way with mobile speed cameras in order to catch offenders who are exceeding the speed limit.
“The speed limits are there to protect local residents and other road users and we are committed to making the roads safer for everyone in the neighbourhood.”
A spokesman for the county council said: “If sufficient signatures are obtained, the petition will be considered by the appropriate council panel.”
To sign the petition online, visit you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/speeding-control-on-grace-way-stevenage.
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