Reply from Cllr Gareth Epps: Cabinet Member for Transport, Oxfordshire County Council

Dear Rebecca,
Thanks for your follow-up.   You've raised some important issues.  

Some of these are things we can and should look at immediately: changes to the rules of the road are subject to a statutory process which do mean a longer timescale due to the need to advertise and consult.

Points 1 and 3 can certainly be taken up immediately.  I'll ask Vision Zero officers to respond on the details regarding the Road Safety Audit and potential other measures.  I think that with regard to point 2, changes to access requirements would be subject to the same process; even the quickest mechanism would take time.

Cllr Gareth Epps
Liberal Democrat 
Deddington Division 
Cabinet Member for Transport, Oxfordshire County Council

Dear Cllr Epps,

Thank you very much for your prompt and encouraging response.

It is reassuring to hear that the B4507 is already included within Oxfordshire County Council's wider review of A and B roads. We also welcome the news that a reduction in the speed limit on this stretch of road is being proposed, subject to statutory consultation and a final decision later this year.

Whilst this is very positive news, we are concerned that the review is not expected to conclude until the winter. This means we are likely to be waiting another five to six months before any changes are considered.

Unfortunately, the concerns we have raised are not future concerns—they exist now.

During the growing season, vegetation and raised verges significantly reduce visibility for drivers emerging from junctions onto this fast-moving section of the B4507. These conditions are present today and will continue throughout the remainder of the summer unless action is taken.

The Dragon Hill car park is also at its busiest during the summer months. As the access point to the National Trust's White Horse Hill, it attracts a significant number of visitors every day. With the growing popularity of visiting the White Horse to watch the sunset, many vehicles are now leaving the site during the lowest light conditions of the evening, making clear visibility when joining the B4507 even more critical.

For these reasons, we respectfully ask that the following measures are considered as a matter of urgency, independently of the wider road safety review.

1. Immediate review of verge maintenance and visibility

We ask that an immediate assessment is undertaken of verge maintenance along this stretch of the B4507, particularly at junctions.

Over many years, the verges appear to have gradually increased in height through the accumulation of soil and vegetation, reducing visibility in places. We would ask that the Council considers whether affected areas require not only routine cutting back of vegetation but also re-profiling or lowering of verge levels where necessary to restore safe visibility splays.

2. Review of the Dragon Hill car park access

We ask that the Council considers whether the Dragon Hill car park access could be made one-way so users exit bia the main car park route, removing the need for vehicles to exit directly onto the B4507 at this bad junction.

Given the volume of visitor traffic using this junction, particularly during the summer months, we believe this option should be assessed to determine whether it would improve safety.

3. Advance junction warning signage

If, following assessment, changes to the Dragon Hill car park access are not considered feasible, we would ask, at the very least, that the Council considers installing a 'Left Junction Ahead' warning sign on the approach from the Wantage direction before the brow of the dip.

At present, there is no advance warning of the junction for motorists approaching from this direction despite the combination of the road's vertical alignment, the national speed limit and the volume of turning traffic. We believe this would be a relatively straightforward measure that could improve driver awareness of the junction ahead.

I would also be grateful if you could confirm:

When this section of the B4507, and specifically the Dragon Hill Road junction, was last subject to a formal Road Safety Audit, road safety review or junction assessment.
Whether any recommendations arose from that review and, if so, whether they were implemented.
Whether previous concerns regarding visibility at this junction have been raised or recorded.
Whether any interim safety measures can be considered whilst the wider review and speed limit consultation are progressing.
Finally, I would like to introduce two further people who have asked to support this campaign.

Artur Max, father-in-law of Michał Mamys, the motorcyclist who tragically lost his life in last Tuesday evening's collision, together with Michał's fiancée, have kindly shared their support for this campaign and their concerns regarding the visibility at this junction.

I would also like to include Lois Dimmock, who was left in a critical condition following the fatal collision at Chain Hill, Wantage, in which the motorcyclist sadly lost his life. Lois subsequently wrote to the Council expressing concerns about road safety at that location. https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/23104545.wantage-vw-camper-crash-leaves-biker-passenger-critical-condition/

Whilst every collision has its own individual circumstances, these experiences reinforce the importance of proactively reviewing rural road junctions where visibility, traffic volumes and road layouts may no longer reflect how they are used today.

Traffic using our rural roads has increased significantly in recent years, particularly at popular visitor destinations. We would therefore also ask the Council to consider introducing a programme of more regular reviews of rural road junctions to ensure they continue to operate safely as traffic patterns evolve.

The support this campaign has received from those directly affected by these tragic collisions reflects a shared desire to see every reasonable step taken to improve safety and help prevent other families experiencing similar heartbreak.

Our aim is not simply to respond to one tragic event, but to ensure that every reasonable opportunity is taken to reduce the risk of future collisions and create a positive legacy from an otherwise devastating tragedy.

On behalf of the community road safety campaign, thank you again for your positive and constructive response. We genuinely appreciate the work that is already underway and hope these immediate measures can be considered whilst the longer-term review progresses.

Yours faithfully,

Sent with permission and on behalf of the witnesses, those directly involved, those first on the scene of Tuesday night's tragic collision, the family of Michał, and others who have experienced similar tragedies on our local rural roads in support of this road safety campaign.