The speed limit on a stretch of road in Fife is to be cut this year in a bid to improve safety.
Fife Council has confirmed its plans to reduce the speed limit on the A911 between Leslie and Auchmuirbridge the scene of various accidents over the years from 60mph to 40mph following a wide-ranging review of speed limits on the region’s A and B class roads.
The move has been rubber stamped by councillors on the Glenrothes area committee. Once implemented, the operation of the new arrangements will be monitored and evaluated at a later date.
Ian Smith, lead officer with the council’s traffic management service, said the action would be taken after “numerous concerns” were raised by residents living along or near the infamous stretch.
“Our review showed that this section of the A911 should be reduced in speed and that was based on an assessment of crash records and the current speed of traffic on the road,” he said.
“Part of new guidance requires us to look at improvements to a road under consideration speed limit is not the first line of attack for us.
“But we’ve introduced flashing signs, the road has been resurfaced and anti-skid provided, so we’re now at the stage where we feel we should tackle the speed limit.”
The cut in speed limit along the route was warmly welcomed by local councillor Bill Kay, who has long held concerns about the risks posed to drivers and pedestrians.
“It’s not just the twists and turns, it’s the dips,” he said. “I would suggest that if you are travelling at 60mph on that road you are taking your life in your own hands, so I think 40mph is not an unreasonable thing to do.”
Council leader Peter Grant also welcomed the reduction but expressed one slight reservation about the change.
“My concern is that we’re taking away the only passing place safe to overtake a slow-moving vehicle and people may be more likely to take a chance,” he said.
However, Mr Kay added, “Inevitably people will overtake slow-moving farm vehicles and I think you can still keep it to near enough 40 but it’s not a road I would be particularly inclined to overtake anything on.”
The change, which has also been welcomed by Fife’s chief constable Norma Graham, comes after national guidance on setting speed limits was updated in 2006. At that time all road authorities were required to review the speed limits on their A and B class roads by the end of 2011.
Similar measures have been mooted in relation to other fairly prominent roads, including the B923 Kinghorn to Burntisland road, which will be reduced from 60mph to 40mph, and the B925 Kirkcaldy to Auchtertool road, which is likely to be cut from 60mph to 50mph.
Only in February 2011 the latter claimed the life of a Kirkcaldy man who died after his Honda Civic collided with a Land Rover Freelander.