BID TO CURB ROAD DEATHS BY BANNING RIGHT TURNING DRIVERS IN IRLAM

Town hall bosses have acted on a coroner’s ruling to make a junction in Irlam where two men died safer.

Drivers will now be prevented from turning right onto the A57 Cadishead Way southbound from Fairhills Road, a manoeuvre which police and highways bosses reckon is the cause of a number of collisions.

It follows an inquest into the deaths of driver Michael Draper, 62, and his passenger Rafal Wojdyl, 43, who were in collison with a lorry at the junction of the A57 Cadishead Way and Fairhills Road in June 2021.

Salford city council was urged by Greater Manchester West coroner Prof Alan Walsh sitting at Bolton in May 2022 to make changes to improve safety.

At the time, Prof Walsh told the council:

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“In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”

Mr Draper and Mr Wojdyl had been travelling along Fairhills Road in a Dacia Logan car before turning onto the A57, which runs between Eccles and Warrington.

At the same time, a lorry was travelling along Cadishead Way towards Eccles, while a Citroen Berlingo van was travelling in the opposite direction waiting to turn right into Fairhills Road.

In his report, Prof Walsh said: 

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“At the junction Mr Draper, without reason, pulled out of Fairhills Road into Cadishead Way directly into the path of the HGV and there was a collision. As the collision developed, Mr Draper’s vehicle was pushed back by the HGV, causing a further collision between Mr Draper’s vehicle and the Citroen Berlingo.”

Coun Mike McCusker, the city’s lead member for planning transport and sustainable development, approved the move at a briefing today.

A traffic regulation order (TRO) will now prevent vehicles right from Fairhills Road onto the Cadishead Way in the southbound direction.

A report to the briefing said:

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“There has been a history of two fatal and one seriously injured road traffic collisions that have occurred at this junction since 2015.”

It said that the city council’s road safety team has undertaken an investigation alongside Greater Manchester Police to establish the right turn manoeuvre was ‘a consistent factor’ in the fatal and serious conditions.

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“Following the most recent fatal collision [in June 2021] HM Coroner issued the council with a Regulation 28 Report to prevent future deaths occurring at this junction,” the report said.

“Officers have explored several interventions to address the road safety concerns while minimising the impact on the surrounding network for residents and businesses. 

“The TRO to prevent the right turn was the preferred option.”

 

Ward councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith told the briefing: “I am supportive of this scheme.  It’s been really concerning with the number of serious incidents that have occurred here for lots of the residents.”