A busy road in Quedgeley, a suburb of Gloucester, is to have new lighting installed in a bid to help bring down the number of road accidents that have occurred there over the last few years.
Jackie Hall, retiring county councillor for the region, has announced that £4,000 will have been spent on improving the lighting around School Lane, which feeds traffic to Severn Vale Academy, the Q Club and Quedgeley Community Centre, when the project is finished.
The amount of money being shelled out on the initiative will comprise the remainder of her grant money, the Citizen reported.
As part of the project, lamps will be replaced with brighter versions in an attempt to improve visibility for drivers, a lamppost currently positioned behind Courtfield Road will be moved so that it is closer to the road, a twin-headed light will be installed and more warning signs have been put up, with extra road markings to be painted soon.
The lights should not only help drivers to see better but also pedestrians and cyclists who are using the route.
"We need to do all what we can to make this road as safe as possible, especially in light of the recent accidents," Ms Hall said, adding that it would not have an adverse effect on the amount of light spilling into residents' bedrooms.
However, the mother of a girl who was hit on the stretch in both 2010 and 2012, Rachael Gardner, has expressed the opinion that the new lighting will make no difference. "Better lighting isn't what we need. It is the speeding cars that need to be tackled," she said.
Arguably, therefore, this area could be one that would benefit from the GO20 initiative currently sweeping the country, for which campaigners are urging the government and local authorities to implement more 20 mph zones in built-up neighbourhoods.
Anybody concerned about the visibility in and around their own home may consider installing some new outdoor lighting to illuminate their driveway more effectively.
