A5 WTC (New Road from Aughnacloy to Derry)

[GJL]

Another bad smash on it yesterday between Ballygawley and Omagh. Road was closed for a few hours with several ambulances in attendance. It was only a very short distance from where somebody died last week. There is no viable argument not to begin a new road project immediately.

[Milltown Row2]

Speed cameras will bring the death rate down nearly straight away, yes people will always make a bad judgement at a junction, but I'd rather make a bad judgement at a junction, knowing the speed of the of the traffic will be 50 or 40 miles per hour rather than 60 plus.

The road needs doing though, probably only ever been on it once or twice, but it is a mess for that volume of traffic

Best option to get the new road build asap.

More lives will be lost on it unfortunately before it's completed.

During the enquiry, who were the people who objected? Was there a group or individuals?

I know it needs done, but christ start doing something now in the mean time to save some lives, rather than what some are doing (IMO) in using the rising deaths as a stick to beating those against it.

[general_lee]

Speed cameras on what is essentially a primary transport corridor are not the answer. A fit for purpose road is the answer.

[WeeDonns]

The whole thing needs done; Aughnacloy to Derry, but that Omagh to Ballygawley bit should be first IMO.
IIRC, the initial objections that stopped the whole project were habitat/river catchment issues in the Strabane to Derry section? scandalous that that stopped the Omagh to Ballygawley section

[Milltown Row2]

Speed cameras on what is essentially a primary transport corridor are not the answer. A fit for purpose road is the answer.

No one is disagreeing on that, unless you are a landower. But in the meantime slowing traffic down would certainly help

[Armaghtothebone]

Speed cameras on what is essentially a primary transport corridor are not the answer. A fit for purpose road is the answer.

No one is disagreeing on that, unless you are a landower. But in the meantime slowing traffic down would certainly help

Travel the A5 on a regular basis with work. Not sure speed is the issue. Set the cruise at 55 and you'll have to turn it off within seconds.
It's a dangerous road with hundreds of side roads and junctions. All speed cameras would do is raise a few quid.
The road needs a massive upgrade.
Compare the road from Omagh to Strabane with the road between Antrim and Ballymena.
Now almost dual carriageway from Belfast to Portrush!

[trailer]

Speed cameras on what is essentially a primary transport corridor are not the answer. A fit for purpose road is the answer.

No one is disagreeing on that, unless you are a landower. But in the meantime slowing traffic down would certainly help

Travel the A5 on a regular basis with work. Not sure speed is the issue. Set the cruise at 55 and you'll have to turn it off within seconds.
It's a dangerous road with hundreds of side roads and junctions. All speed cameras would do is raise a few quid.
The road needs a massive upgrade.
Compare the road from Omagh to Strabane with the road between Antrim and Ballymena.
Now almost dual carriageway from Belfast to Portrush!

Correct my wife travelled it for work as well for a bit. I used to pray everyday she'd get to Omagh and back home safe.

[Milltown Row2]

Speed cameras on what is essentially a primary transport corridor are not the answer. A fit for purpose road is the answer.

No one is disagreeing on that, unless you are a landower. But in the meantime slowing traffic down would certainly help

Travel the A5 on a regular basis with work. Not sure speed is the issue. Set the cruise at 55 and you'll have to turn it off within seconds.
It's a dangerous road with hundreds of side roads and junctions. All speed cameras would do is raise a few quid.
The road needs a massive upgrade.
Compare the road from Omagh to Strabane with the road between Antrim and Ballymena.
Now almost dual carriageway from Belfast to Portrush!

Correct my wife travelled it for work as well for a bit. I used to pray everyday she'd get to Omagh and back home safe.

So essentially its people taking risks coming out of the junctions or overtaking when not safe to do so?

Btw I'm not great with sitting in traffic, and I'm well past the age of trying to get 2 or three minutes quicker to where I'm going, but sitting on 3 points and having recently, last year, done a speed awareness course, my second.

Though in my defence my speed was coming out of a 60 straight into a 30 at the brow of a hill or coming round a corner to be greeted by a lovely van !!

We need to leave earlier and not worry about being late and we will all arrive alive!

[Saffrongael]

Not trying to be insensitive or argue that the road does not need improving but is it not true that about 95% of Road deaths are caused by driver error, not paying attention, speeding, driving while impaired etc ?

[TabClear]

Not trying to be insensitive or argue that the road does not need improving but is it not true that about 95% of Road deaths are caused by driver error, not paying attention, speeding, driving while impaired etc ?

It is true but there is no point saying that everyone will just sit at 40mph behind a tractor. Yes if everyone did deaths would reduce dramatically but its not going to happen. On that logic why do cars need seatbelts?

The A4 to Dungannon is a example of what happens when the road is upgraded. Journey times reduced and deaths reduced dramatically. Yes it costs money but it is the only realistic way of reducing deaths because driver behaviour is unlikely to change dramatically.

[GJL]

Not trying to be insensitive or argue that the road does not need improving but is it not true that about 95% of Road deaths are caused by driver error, not paying attention, speeding, driving while impaired etc ?

It is true but there is no point saying that everyone will just sit at 40mph behind a tractor. Yes if everyone did deaths would reduce dramatically but its not going to happen. On that logic why do cars need seatbelts?

The A4 to Dungannon is a example of what happens when the road is upgraded. Journey times reduced and deaths reduced dramatically. Yes it costs money but it is the only realistic way of reducing deaths because driver behaviour is unlikely to change dramatically.

This is the whole case in a nutshell. A road that is fit for purpose and can take the volume.

[LeoMc]

Not trying to be insensitive or argue that the road does not need improving but is it not true that about 95% of Road deaths are caused by driver error, not paying attention, speeding, driving while impaired etc ?

If you are assigning blame solely to the drivers, and in many cases the drivers will have made errors, the question becomes why do so many errors occur on this road, relative to other roads!

[Milltown Row2]

Not trying to be insensitive or argue that the road does not need improving but is it not true that about 95% of Road deaths are caused by driver error, not paying attention, speeding, driving while impaired etc ?

If you are assigning blame solely to the drivers, and in many cases the drivers will have made errors, the question becomes why do so many errors occur on this road, relative to other roads!

Probably because they are taking a risk when overtaking slow large moving vehicles because they are impatient, how do we fix that?

No one and I haven't heard one on here say the road doesn't need to be upgraded, but dealing with the here and now rather than something completely out of the random road users ability to change needs looked at.

There will be accidents on roads every day, the road doesn't cause them, drivers do, someone miscalculates distance/timing/braking/overtaking/drinking/indicating

[imtommygunn]

Would side roads and houses nearby not be as big a problem as purely speed though? Kevin Hughes's sister was killed as someone reversed onto the road in front of someone else and that was the knock on effect from someone swerving? There's people with front doors near on the road. (from reading this I think someone mentioned that)

[Milltown Row2]

Why do you think this particular road has more fatal crashes than others though?

Is it that it gets worse drivers than other roads?

Because it's single lane traffic with plenty side roads and junctions with farming and lorries using it ...

Again, the road needs up grading, I've not said once it's fine, and when it's done (if ever) it will dramatically reduce accidents.

But in the meantime, how can users be more safe on that road?