00:01This is Sittingbourne Road in Maidstone, where resident Craig Parrott is calling for speed enforcement measures to be introduced after
00:09a series of incidents.
00:10As it's a residential area, the maximum speed limit is 30 miles an hour, but Craig says drivers often exceed
00:18this limit.
00:19We went on a walk where he showed us where he and his family faced a near miss.
00:24First Breastview Islands there on my right hand side, there where I cross with my children and my wife across
00:32this point.
00:33And then obviously, as you can see, the road probably up in the distance there where there's an arrow on
00:38the post, that's where the road narrows and then vehicles come back down.
00:43I've had scenarios I was explaining earlier where we cross here and a vehicle has overtaken on this side of
00:50the road.
00:52And naturally, you'd be looking right if you were crossing the road.
00:55And I went to cross with my children and as I looked left, there was a vehicle overtaken on this
01:00side of the road because he couldn't cut back in quick enough.
01:04He also says there was only one 30 mile an hour limit sign on the entire road, so I went
01:10on the hunt for it.
01:11The sign is at the top of Bearstead Road, where drivers were joined from the A249.
01:16And on the other side of Sittingbourne Road is in Victor Primary School.
01:19A lot of young people and children cross these roads, so without a single visible reminder of the 30 mile
01:26an hour speed limit, Craig is calling for some new measures to be put in place.
01:30It should be highlighted it's 30 mile an hour, so more signage, potential road markings, 30 mile an hour painting
01:37every so often like you get in some areas.
01:39According to KCC's current framework, three fatal or serious accidents must occur before a camera can be considered, which Craig
01:48says is three fatalities too many.
01:50In a statement, KCC said,
01:53Our recent correspondence with the resident shows that several issues were raised, but requests for additional measures were not submitted.
02:01Current data does not indicate a widespread speeding problem.
02:05Issues such as overtaking around pedestrian islands relate to driver behaviour and on matters for enforcement.
02:10The existing limit is generally well observed.
02:14According to crash map data, in the last five years there have been 13 recorded accidents on Sittingbourne Road,
02:21including a report of an incident involving a 16-year-old boy hit by a car when crossing here just
02:28last year.
02:29And a planted tree that was knocked down after a car travelling too fast clipped the kerb and knocked it
02:35down.
02:35The 46-year-old says he is concerned for the safety of his family and has even considered moving if
02:41no changes are made.
02:43Nayla Mahamed for KMTV in Maidstone.
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