- Author, Simon Spark
- Role, BBC News
A BBC film crew filmed a collision between two cars while preparing a report on road safety on the A1 in Lincolnshire.
Residents living near junctions that cross the dual carriageway have complained that the road is “dangerous” following several recent collisions.
A Lincolnshire county councillor has said the A1 between Stamford and Newark needs “a motorway-style upgrade to make it much safer”.
A National Highways spokesman said safety was a “top priority” and the stretch of road would continue to be “monitored”.
In the video, a white Seat collides with a blue Tesla as it approaches a junction on the A1 near Great Ponton.
The passengers in both vehicles were later seen by the BBC crew and appeared unharmed. The cars were moved to a safer location.
Local resident Cameron Matthews blamed the junctions where B roads meet the A1.
He said: “There are accidents almost every day. It’s really terrible there. It’s not safe to cross.”
Mike King, 80, of Colsterworth, said there was an accident “every two weeks”.
He said vehicles diverted after the accidents were driving through the village “with both lanes of traffic blocked as far as the eye could see”.
Image source, Fiona Caller
Fiona Caller, who lives near the Great Ponton junction, shared her pictures of a car smashing through a neighbour’s fence. She said the family living in the house had young children who were thankfully unharmed.
She said: “A few weeks ago there were four accidents in less than a week.”
“Substantial upgrade”
Richard Davies, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive councillor responsible for highways, described the section of the A1 as “a national problem that requires a national solution”.
He said: “We are the ones who have to constantly deal with the consequences of this situation.”
He added that the A1 needed a substantial upgrade: “From Stamford to Newark there are a lot of accident hotspots and we need to look at a motorway-style upgrade to make it much safer.”
The National Roads Authority is responsible for the A1. A spokesman said safety was its top priority.
“The A1 generally has a good safety record. However, we are never complacent and we recognise the concerns expressed by users.”
The spokesperson added: “We will continue to continually monitor safety on this section of road and work with the local community on any future safety improvements.”
