Crash course in taking in slowly (From Bournemouth Echo)

Crash course in taking in slowly

8:00am Saturday 28th November 2009 in

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DESPITE the fact that one of the three speed cameras on that short stretch cost me a few quid and three points on my licence, I can’t offer too much of an argument against the idea of reducing the limit.

The distance from County Gates roundabout to St Paul’s roundabout close to the railway station may be less than two miles, but my twice-daily drives along the stretch have taught me you need your wits about you.

Certainly the Richmond Hill slip roads are both a test of any driver’s skills and observation. The eastbound slip towards Ringwood offers difficult visibility while merging onto the busy dual carriageway, two lanes of the slip road merging into one.

Westbound, it’s every man for himself as traffic whizzes down the slip road from the roundabout to join traffic barrelling over the dip in the road beneath the overpass.

Add to that the often laughable antics of drivers merging from two lanes into one heading into and out of County Gates and the recent lane changes at the Cambridge Road roundabout and you can see why a series of shunts has prompted the trial period.

Of course, trial periods are just that. An opportunity to evaluate the impact of change.

But not only can you see this one whizzing through as quickly as cars steaming down the Wessex Way, but how long before the rest of the stretch up to Blackwater Junction comes under the spotlight?