A SCHEME to improve road safety on the A386 Drake's Statue Roundabout has been approved. The plans to reduce the number of accidents were drawn up by area south highway management department from Devon County Council, and were heard at the highways and traffic orders committee earlier this month. Members of the committee agreed to the recommendation to improve the road's visibility due to accidents on the roundabout — a scheme carrying a £36,000 price tag. In a report to Devon County Council, from the area engineer Brian George, it stated that the 2007/08 review of casualty sites within West Devon had identified the roundabout as a site for action, with five injury collisions reported in a three year period from 2004 to 2006. Mr George said: 'The junction at Drake's Statue carries unequal traffic loads on the A386, Plymouth Road and the Callington Road and the kerb alignment does allow quite fast traffic speeds through the junction. 'The stop lines are placed quite well back, making visibility to the previous entry arm more difficult to judge. 'As a result of misjudgements, there have been a number of injury and non-injury collisions reported over a three year period and analysis suggests that the majority of these could be avoided in future by the engineering works currently proposed.' Mr George said it is proposed to tighten the kerb lines to provide additional deflection of traffic moving around the roundabout — bringing forward the stop lines so there is better visibility between vehicles. He said: 'The increased deflection will also reduce the speed that traffic can enter and manoeuvre around the junction. 'It is not anticipated that the remodelled junction will cause congestion on the route, merely that it will modify drivers' behaviour and improve road safety.' The alterations to the roads approaching the roundabout — Plymouth Road and Callington Road — are estimated to start in February.
