Motorcyclist killed at Westonzoyland airfield named (From This is The West Country)

onc again we mourn the loss of a young life lost on this dangerous stretch of road. i drive this road twice a day, everyday, and have witnessed many near misses over the years.
why are there no speed restrictions or traffic calming measures in place between westonzoyland and middlezoy?
in the early morning the road is like a racetrack with traffic heading towards yeovil and drivers leaving westonzoyland seem to take the opportunity to make up some time by driving fast across the airfield.
the county council highways dept. must look at making improvements soon.

another young life gone,but very sad for those left behind. i have travelled that road many times,& i am sorry but i think the road ok if used properly.
please don't take this wrong but a lad & speed, open space.
My thoughts are with the family,as i lost a daughter @ 27,through health.

another young life gone,but very sad for those left behind. i have travelled that road many times,& i am sorry but i think the road ok if used properly.
please don't take this wrong but a lad & speed, open space.
My thoughts are with the family,as i lost a daughter @ 27,through health.

percy87 wrote:
another young life gone,but very sad for those left behind. i have travelled that road many times,& i am sorry but i think the road ok if used properly.
please don't take this wrong but a lad & speed, open space.
My thoughts are with the family,as i lost a daughter @ 27,through health.

I did not see it mentioned anywhere any allegation of speeding

To all above, he was not even on the road but the air field beside it!

RIP Chrissy, we'll all miss you so much

R.I.P chris (tucker) still in shock to b honest, you was an amazing guy n will be sadly missed by many, My thoughts n condelences go out to ur family n ur lil girl! Sleep tight n sweet dreams x

I can see by a previous comment that this rider was not actually on the road but on the airfield, so could be any number of reasons why his accident took place. My thoughts are with those he has left behind.

But in response to some of the comments about this road, and indeed the one from Westonzoyland into Bridgwater, I have been driving on these roads for 25 years, and the biggest problem is the drivers that go too slow! I know that sounds weird, but there is no reason why anyone should feel that they need to drive at 25-30mph along this road, all this does is annoy anyone stuck behind them, which then normally leads to them overtaking in unsuitable places. Which in turn leads to an accident.

For the person doing the overtaking - As annoying as it is, just wait a couple of minutes and overtake on a nice long straight, there are plenty of them on this stretch.

For the person driving annoyingly slow - If you feel that you can not drive at a suitable safe speed along these roads then why not hand back your licence and remove yourself as a danger from the road.

I would say 50-60mph is fine for either of these roads.

Oh yes, and please give cyclist using this stretch a wider pass.....PLEASE!

chris was a really a really good friend to our son we took him on holiday and had him in our home we are really devastated that he has gone. our condolences to his mum and his partner and little girl. he will be sadly missed. they always take the best ones first.steve,tracey ,leigh,tamsin and christianxxxxxx

DC2509 wrote:
I can see by a previous comment that this rider was not actually on the road but on the airfield, so could be any number of reasons why his accident took place. My thoughts are with those he has left behind.

But in response to some of the comments about this road, and indeed the one from Westonzoyland into Bridgwater, I have been driving on these roads for 25 years, and the biggest problem is the drivers that go too slow! I know that sounds weird, but there is no reason why anyone should feel that they need to drive at 25-30mph along this road, all this does is annoy anyone stuck behind them, which then normally leads to them overtaking in unsuitable places. Which in turn leads to an accident.

For the person doing the overtaking - As annoying as it is, just wait a couple of minutes and overtake on a nice long straight, there are plenty of them on this stretch.

For the person driving annoyingly slow - If you feel that you can not drive at a suitable safe speed along these roads then why not hand back your licence and remove yourself as a danger from the road.

I would say 50-60mph is fine for either of these roads.

Oh yes, and please give cyclist using this stretch a wider pass.....PLEASE!

Please remember the speed limit is a MAXIMUM and not a minimum. Not everyone is in a hurry to meet their maker!

DC2509 wrote:
I can see by a previous comment that this rider was not actually on the road but on the airfield, so could be any number of reasons why his accident took place. My thoughts are with those he has left behind.

But in response to some of the comments about this road, and indeed the one from Westonzoyland into Bridgwater, I have been driving on these roads for 25 years, and the biggest problem is the drivers that go too slow! I know that sounds weird, but there is no reason why anyone should feel that they need to drive at 25-30mph along this road, all this does is annoy anyone stuck behind them, which then normally leads to them overtaking in unsuitable places. Which in turn leads to an accident.

For the person doing the overtaking - As annoying as it is, just wait a couple of minutes and overtake on a nice long straight, there are plenty of them on this stretch.

For the person driving annoyingly slow - If you feel that you can not drive at a suitable safe speed along these roads then why not hand back your licence and remove yourself as a danger from the road.

I would say 50-60mph is fine for either of these roads.

Oh yes, and please give cyclist using this stretch a wider pass.....PLEASE!

The attitude expressed by DC2509 may provide a clear indication at to why there are so many fatal collisions on our roads. Speed is a contributory factor in many collisions as is inappropriate speed and failing to drive to the conditions which prevail at that time.
Yes there are many stretches of road where 50-60 mph may be possible, but is it appropriate? is there a slower moving vehicle around the corner, is there a vehicle emerging from a junction are there pedestrians and cyclists in the vicinity, what are the weather conditions? These are all situations where the driver is required to make a measured and sound judgement- get it wrong and we know the consequences. Might be an ideal time for us all to reflect on our own driving ability and for me if 25-30 mph is the speed i choose to travel and i believe its appropriate then I will stick to it and not be pushed by drivers who believe their abilities are better than my mine own.
My condolences go to the family of this young man who was tragically taken from them.

Waterway people like you cause accidents. would you drive at that speed on a motorway ???? probably not.
Driving at such a slow speed is just as dangerous as driving fast as an inpatient driver is more likely to overtake.
Usually if someone does get stuck behind you then somebody 2 or 3 cars behind the slow flow of traffic we choose to overtake it all.
At the end of the day the speed limit is there for a reason so it should be stuck too.
Your abilities cant be much good if you havent got the ability to drive at 50/60 on a national speed limit road

Wellyboy wrote:
Waterway people like you cause accidents. would you drive at that speed on a motorway ???? probably not.
Driving at such a slow speed is just as dangerous as driving fast as an inpatient driver is more likely to overtake.
Usually if someone does get stuck behind you then somebody 2 or 3 cars behind the slow flow of traffic we choose to overtake it all.
At the end of the day the speed limit is there for a reason so it should be stuck too.
Your abilities cant be much good if you havent got the ability to drive at 50/60 on a national speed limit road

I agree with you Wellboy, it would appear that Waterway completely missed my point. I wonder what speed Waterway considers to be a safe speed to drive through a town! If they consider 25-30mph to be a safe speed on a 60mph limit road how do they cope with town driving.

There are 101 things you consider everytime you get behind the wheel of your car. Weather conditions, road conditions, the way other drivers are driving, turnings ahead, and on this stretch you also need to keep an eye out for deer crossing the road! All of these things I take into consideration when using the road, and like I said it is infuriating to be stuck behind someone driving at a unnecessarily slow speed, and Waterway's attitude of not going any faster to be basically awkward is a prime example of what makes some drivers take a risk and overtake, emphasis on SOME drivers there!

They may think they are being clever by driving slow and not increasing their speed to allow for safe driving, but all they are doing is encouraging SOME people to overtake them. I personally, because I know the road and it's hidden dangers, always wait until a nice straight and overtake then.

What makes me annoyed is the ones that drive along the Westonzoyland Road, proceed up and over the motorway bridge into town at a speed of 40mph, you have had to stick behind them because there has been no safe overtaking opportunity, and then they continue to drive through town (including through the 20mph stretch) at 40mph!!! I bet they drive in the middle lane on the motorway too!!!

mikeymike wrote:

DC2509 wrote:
I can see by a previous comment that this rider was not actually on the road but on the airfield, so could be any number of reasons why his accident took place. My thoughts are with those he has left behind.

But in response to some of the comments about this road, and indeed the one from Westonzoyland into Bridgwater, I have been driving on these roads for 25 years, and the biggest problem is the drivers that go too slow! I know that sounds weird, but there is no reason why anyone should feel that they need to drive at 25-30mph along this road, all this does is annoy anyone stuck behind them, which then normally leads to them overtaking in unsuitable places. Which in turn leads to an accident.

For the person doing the overtaking - As annoying as it is, just wait a couple of minutes and overtake on a nice long straight, there are plenty of them on this stretch.

For the person driving annoyingly slow - If you feel that you can not drive at a suitable safe speed along these roads then why not hand back your licence and remove yourself as a danger from the road.

I would say 50-60mph is fine for either of these roads.

Oh yes, and please give cyclist using this stretch a wider pass.....PLEASE!

Please remember the speed limit is a MAXIMUM and not a minimum. Not everyone is in a hurry to meet their maker!

I agree, and it if was foggy or tipping it down with rain then adjust your speed accordingly. It does not take away the fact that driving too slow can also cause accidents.

According to popular definition, a ‘Sunday driver’ is the following.

“A person who drives slowly or unskilfully, as if used to driving only on Sundays when the roads are relatively quiet.”

All sounds harmless enough doesn’t it? Well, no actually.

Research is now showing that Britain’s motorists feel the same level of disdain for the archetypal ‘Sunday driver’ as they do ‘boy-racers’, white van man, or even foreign lorry drivers!

So, what exactly is the big problem?


Are Slow Drivers as Dangerous as Boy Racers?

Well, it would appear that slow drivers are proving an increasing source of anxiety on UK roads and new research from the Department of Transport suggests that they are actually responsible for a large, and increasing, amount of accidents each year.

A poll conducted last summer by insurance experts confused.com found that 60% of motorists experience an increase in stress levels and heightened irritability when faced with a vehicle driving slower than the rest of the traffic, causing nearly half of all drivers to attempt risky overtaking manoeuvres.

Roughly half of the 2000 respondents were in full support of introducing ‘slow-speed’ cameras to combat slow driving and penalising the dawdlers with a fine. Solutions offered from the survey included; imposing a minimum speed limit on all British roads; dedicating set times for slow drivers to be on the road; the issuing of a warning badge system to be displayed by offending motorists.

Back in July, around the time of the poll, Peter Rodger, chief examiner from the Institute of Motorists (IAM), said: “All forms of inconsiderate driving need to be tackled. Drivers who are unnecessarily slow lead others to make rash moves.”

Most comments are about dangerous driving. Can anyone explain why the Police are requesting that anyone with information about this incident should call Crimestoppers?. Is some kind of foul play suspected?.

Waterway wrote:

DC2509 wrote:
I can see by a previous comment that this rider was not actually on the road but on the airfield, so could be any number of reasons why his accident took place. My thoughts are with those he has left behind.

But in response to some of the comments about this road, and indeed the one from Westonzoyland into Bridgwater, I have been driving on these roads for 25 years, and the biggest problem is the drivers that go too slow! I know that sounds weird, but there is no reason why anyone should feel that they need to drive at 25-30mph along this road, all this does is annoy anyone stuck behind them, which then normally leads to them overtaking in unsuitable places. Which in turn leads to an accident.

For the person doing the overtaking - As annoying as it is, just wait a couple of minutes and overtake on a nice long straight, there are plenty of them on this stretch.

For the person driving annoyingly slow - If you feel that you can not drive at a suitable safe speed along these roads then why not hand back your licence and remove yourself as a danger from the road.

I would say 50-60mph is fine for either of these roads.

Oh yes, and please give cyclist using this stretch a wider pass.....PLEASE!

The attitude expressed by DC2509 may provide a clear indication at to why there are so many fatal collisions on our roads. Speed is a contributory factor in many collisions as is inappropriate speed and failing to drive to the conditions which prevail at that time.
Yes there are many stretches of road where 50-60 mph may be possible, but is it appropriate? is there a slower moving vehicle around the corner, is there a vehicle emerging from a junction are there pedestrians and cyclists in the vicinity, what are the weather conditions? These are all situations where the driver is required to make a measured and sound judgement- get it wrong and we know the consequences. Might be an ideal time for us all to reflect on our own driving ability and for me if 25-30 mph is the speed i choose to travel and i believe its appropriate then I will stick to it and not be pushed by drivers who believe their abilities are better than my mine own.
My condolences go to the family of this young man who was tragically taken from them.

I use the road most days--Tractors are designed to travel at 20 mph,cars are designed to travel at the correct accepted speed for the road==Most drivers seem happy and in control at 50 to 60 mph ,if you have to drive slow do it at off peak times--
It is not difficult to speed up ,.all you need to do is slightly push the right pedal and hey presto! it goes along quicker! Amazing!
It is not as if you have to even pedal or push it along.
If your abilaties cannot match most other road users at 50 -60 then maybe another test,--just to bring you up to speed, in the 21st century !

My thoughts are with the chap involved and his family.

Please can people stop calling roads dangerous. A road is a road, it is not dangerous, it is people and their actions that make a 'road' dangerous.

Any stretch of road can be percieved as 'dangerous' if someone is driving inappropriately.

This road is one of the better roads in the county. Its reasonably wide, straight, few blind crests etc etc

However it does have a high collision rate due to people driving inappropriately.

Where it isnt the safest is for pedestrians and cyclists. I think its about time that a cycleway was created along the Kings Sedgemoor Drain to allow safer communting between Westonzoyland and Chedzoy, Bawdrip and Bridgwater. Failing that a cycleway between Westonzoyland and Dunwear or perhaps both options!

@ the person asking why the Police are asking for info. This is a standard response to a serious or fatal accident.