Slow down on roads near schools – residents urged to cut their speed

Concerned residents living on Manorfield Avenue and Manorfield Road in Driffield are urging motorists to slow down before a child is seriously injured or worse.

They are calling for speed restrictions and traffic calming measures to be imposed on the busy streets to stop drivers using them as a rat run to avoid the traffic lights at the junction of Scarborough Road, Wansford Road, Bridlington Road and New Road.

With the close proximity of Driffield Junior School and Driffield School & Sixth Form, many young people use these routes to get to and from school and many parents park or drop their children off on these streets resulting in congestion at certain times of the day.

Residents contacted East Riding of Yorkshire Council with their concerns and were told that nothing could be done until this financial year, however they say that have not heard any more since and are still waiting.

Ken Jones, a resident of Manorfield Avenue, said: “On Manorfield Avenue, there has been some concern for a number of years about vehicles coming off Bridlington Road and shooting down Manorfield Avenue and going like a rocket along Manorfield Road to meet Wansford Road and all in a bid to beat the traffic lights.

“In term time, when kids are going to and from school at junior school, there is congestion at Manorfield Avenue because parents park both sides of the road and on pavements and we fear there will be an incident.

“We have been in touch with highways last September and were told that the council would not be able to do anything before the end of March and now we are in July there has still not been anything.”

He added that a friend of his had noticed last week that when he travelled along Manorfield Avenue his Sat Nav read 20mph and when he turned onto Bridlington Road and then Wansford Road, it changed to 30mph and then on Manorfield Road it changed to 20mph again.

Mr Jones added: “I contacted the council after my mate told me this and I was told that the speed limit is still 30mph on both Manorfield Avenue and Manorfield Road, even though the schools are there and I thought it should be a 20mph limit around schools.

“It has also been brought to my attention that the lollipop control at the end of Manorfield Road has not been there for the last three months.

“This is a serious situation. There have been a number of close shaves and near misses, there is a lot of concern about the speed of vehicles using these roads and what will it take for something to be done?”

Driffield town councillor Phil Stocker, who is also a resident of Manorfield Avenue, said: “On Manorfield Avenue, there are cars parked on both sides of the road all day long and there is a lot of weaving in and out of the cars.

“The road is also used as a short cut by a lot of people who drive far too fast considering there are two schools in the area.

“There are kids using these streets at all times of the day and the concern is that one day there could be an accident.

“Many years ago, it was proposed putting raised pads on the roads, but because it was a bus route for buses going to school, it did not go ahead.

“But school buses have not used those roads for a number of years now and we would like to see this plan brought back.

“You have to be there to see it and to know how bad it can be.”

When the Wolds Weekly contacted East Riding of Yorkshire Council with the residents’ concerns they said the area has a good safety record.

A spokesman said: “Both Manorfield Avenue and Manorfield Road in Driffield have very good safety records.  

“Last year, traffic safety experts carried out investigations outside all schools in the East Riding and no issues were raised about either Driffield School & Sixth Form or Driffield Junior School.  

“Engineers have recently carried out checks of vehicle speeds using a handheld device and no immediate concerns were raised. 

“Streets around schools don’t legally need to be 20mph zones. 

“The road safety team is currently looking to recruit a school crossing patrol at Wansford Road and the position is advertised on the council’s job site.”