Concerns raised over ‘scary’ accident hot-spot

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A local councillor has raised a number of safety concerns he called “scary” about a busy Welsh road where three men recently died in a car crash.

Independent Vale of Glamorgan Council councillor for St Nicholas and Llancarfan, Cllr Ian Perry, said at a council community liaison committee meeting on Tuesday, April 8, that cars come “flying through” the A48 at the villages of St Nicholas and Bonvilston.

The local councillor went on to call for a 30mph speed limit in Bonvilston, which is currently a 40mph zone, and pointed out that there have been three serious crashes in the area over the past few years.

Two of the three men who died in a car crash that happened on the A48 near Bonvilston on Tuesday, April 1 have been named as Lawrence Howells, 51, and Barrie John, 48.

South Wales Police is still investigating the crash, which happened shortly before 5pm.

Serious accidents

Cllr Perry said: “There have been serious accidents near the Aubrey Arms in recent years.

“In fact, in a very short space of time we have had three killed or seriously injured accidents on the A48.

“One on Tumble Hill, one in St Nicholas and one in Tair Onen.”

Two people were killed in a car crash that happened on the A48 just west of Bonvilston in July 2023.

There are nine car crashes recorded as having happened from 2019 to 2022 along the A48 between St Nicholas and Bonvilston on Crash Map UK.

Data on Crash Map UK also shows that there was a serious car crash in 2023 between St Nicholas and Culverhouse Cross and a serious crash near the Aubrey Arms in 2022.

Cllr Perry has called for improved road safety on the section of the A48 that passes through St Nicholas and Bonvilston for years.

Overtaking

Recalling his own observations of traffic there, he added: “In a very short space of time at night you will see cars flying through over taking over the side of white lines, overtaking where there are ghost islands.

“There is no compliance with the law and they are overtaking both ways over ghost islands.”

He went on to say that during the day, other issues are visible such as drivers using their mobile phones and delivery drivers with parcels on their steering wheels.

“It is scary,” said Cllr Perry.

When the default 20mph speed limit was being rolled out in Wales in 2023, Vale of Glamorgan Council put forward the A48 as an exception to the new rule as it is a key arterial route.

However, a number of cyclists and residents, including Cllr Perry, argued that St Nicholas should not have been included in the exemptions.

The Welsh Government is still updating its guidance that advises local authorities on how to set local speed limits on single and dual carriageways in urban and rural areas.

Cllr Perry said: “We still have no idea when it’s going to come out.

“Places like the Aubrey Arms, the Baffle Haus and Tumble Hill and they are turning out of Grants Fields onto the A48.

“Again you are turning on to a 60mph road where we do have quite significant collisions in number and severity.”

‘Tragic’

Cllr Perry went on to ask South Wales Police neighbourhood inspector for the Vale of Glamorgan, Gareth Childs, if more could be done to protect drivers and residents from traffic issues in the area.

Insp Gareth Childs said: “That will be passed on.

“The accident [on the A48] is being investigated at the moment.

“It is a tragic accident and there will be fall out of that.

“Our road traffic department are aware of the accident and there will be patrols on that area.

“Exactly what is going to happen in the immediate future, in terms of any legislation of speed limits etc, that is really a question for highways and a question for the Welsh Government as well.

“In terms of the recent accidents, yes I will pass that on to our road traffic policing unit and ask them to patrol the area more together with GoSafe.”