Scheme to cut accident toll on A45
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A SCHEME to reduce the number of acci
dents on the 20-mile stretch of the A45 trunk road between the Birmingham City boundary and the M45 at Thurlaston roundabout has been launched by the Ministry of Transport, local authorities and the police. This follows a detailed investigation into all the 769 personal injury accidents over a threeyear period—a rate of about 13 per mile per year—on this heavily trafficked dual carriageway.
The points at which right turns can be made are to be reduced to 23. There will also be a number of special crossings for emergencies and for farmers only. All these remaining turning points will be kept under close review and altered or closed as necessary. They will be clearly signposted.
Until the motorway link is built to Birmingham the A45 will have to carry all the traffic bound for the city from the MI and it is proposed to experiment at openings and junctions with "count-down" bars at intervals of 100 yds. starting 300 yds. from the turning like those used on motorways, but with a green background instead of blue. The intention is, by this and other sig,nposting devices, to make it clear to drivers going towards Birmingham that they have left the motorway, and that different driving conditions now apply.
Also, at certain of the remaining openings, signs and certain traffic regulations will be introduced to ensure, for example, that vehicles do not make U turns. Thus traffic entering the trunk road will turn left only. These detailed measures arc still under study together with proposals for a clearway from Allesley to near Kenilworth Road, Coventry. Changes in lighting and speed limits are also being considered.
£100,000 Reliant Order: Greece has ordered 110 more Reliant commercial vehicles, bringing the total value of orders placed in the British company's first year in this new export market to more than /100,000. The latest order, worth 135,000, is for 100 of Reliant's 10 cwt. pick-ups, and an experimental batch of 10 Regal 5 cwt. vans.