Parents fight for safer A415 crossing after several 'near misses'

Culham resident Amy Sutcliffe has a six-year-old son attending Europa School, near Abingdon. Although she had been aware of the dangers of the crossing, she had not realised to what extent before walking her son to school.

Ms Sutcliffe contacted Culham Parish Council and the headteacher at Europa school who said that attempts to get a safer crossing had been made in the past. 

Determined to make a change, Ms Sutcliffe gathered a group of parents and residents who also felt the crossing was a danger and created a working group.

There were suggestions from parents to form a walking bus to prove how many people would walk or cycle in the area if there was a safe crossing, but some felt the road was too dangerous to be responsible for the children of others.

Ms Sutcliffe said: “It gets very busy, there are lots of different dangers. When traffic is slowing people are keen to get to school on time. People are haring along that road. It is actually 30mph at that crossing but it only just changes there, and I think that some people are unaware.”

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The parental working group carried out a survey of the local community to gather feelings about the junction.

Some of the responses included residents saying they didn't feel safe cycling with young children, that it was 'treacherous, that as a pedestrian it is 'very scary' and many 'near-misses' have been witnessed. 

One resident commented and said: "My son was literally inches away from being hit by a van once as there is no proper pedestrian crossing. It is almost a guessing game when you are trying to cross, especially when parents have to bring younger siblings in buggies. Please make this safer."

The working group say Oxfordshire County Council wrote a report on this junction as part of a 'Safe Routes to School' report in 2017, which deemed the crossing on the A road as 'safe'. The group, as well as the Europa School and Culham Parish Council, are calling for a reassessment of this. 

To highlight the campaign for a safe crossing, parents and children will be walking to school as a large group. The group will meet at the Culham Lock Car Park at 7.30am on Friday July 2. 

Oxfordshire County Council was contacted for a comment on the crossing. They said they will look at any new material provided by residents in relation to the route.

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