Barriers ‘not the answer at Albecq’
Saturday 9th August 2008, 1:00PM BST.
(Picture by Steve Sarre, 0618960)
BARRIERS are not needed on the coast road at Albecq, according to Environment minister Peter Sirett.
His comments were in response to the suggestion that more could be put in place to stop cars coming off the road and hitting the rocky shore below it, as one did in a spectacular accident on Thursday evening.
‘Unless it was a real accident blackspot, we wouldn’t put up barriers,’ he said.
He said people did not want the view ruined by ‘unnecessary’ safety measures.
‘They look terrible,’ he said.
‘People want to look at the sea and the sun, not at barriers.’
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totally agree with Environment minister Peter Sirett.
Let us not forget that the speed limit in Guernsey is at tops 35mph, and less in many places.
If you drive without due care and attention accidents will happen. Assuming that this was not t mechanical failure on the vehicle’s part.
Rather than worry about barriers (why spoil it for the many because of a few) find out whether the accident was due to reckless driving (and recover costs) or mechanical failure.
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Not put a barrier up? The two youths who crashed here were so lucky to get out with minor injuries. Someone could die from driving off that edge and people are more bothered about views than the safety of our drivers on the road!
‘People want to look at the sea and the sun, not at barriers.’
People who are driving shouldn’t be admiring the views anyway and should be looking at where they are going! And as for pedestrians admiring the view, there is a bench on the grass there, if they want the view they can go out onto the grass.
Saying that “Oh well, should have watched where you are going”
What happens if another vehicle comes round the corner and misjudges making an oncoming car, not at fault, veer off?!
Absolutely pathetic, people’s safety are a lot more important than a view that can be seen by walking a few more metres onto the grass.
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You can’t protect every body from every possible potential accident all of the time.
People have to take responsibility for their own actions and look out for them selves too.
Motorways need barriers, 35mph speed limit (or less) roads should not.
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How many accidents have occured on this corner? Not many. Barriers are not the answer – in fact they would probably have caused more serious injuries!
We do not need the Health and Safety police turning this island into a fortress. What next? Cliff walks to be banned – The Guet fenced off, the various forts and martello towers around the island fenced off, Pleinmont headland covered in barriers…..
The whole island could be deemed dangerous. People need to take responsibility and take care – that is all.
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I agree with Merlin. People need to realise that cars are dangerous machines and need to be driven with care. We cannot wrap everybody and everything in cotton wool to prevent accidents. Where do you draw the line ? Unless cars and motorbikes are banned altogether, which of course will never happen, accidents will happen if people drive recklessly or negligently. Life is full of risks and if we get too namby-pamby about those risks then we’d never dare step out of the house for fear of an accident.
That piece of road has never had barriers and people have driven round it for decades without regular accidents. Nobody driving normally or carefully at 35mph or less should have a problem due to no barriers being there.
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If a driver can’t control his or her car at such a low speed as 35mph then the question has to be asked – should they have a driving licence ?
I suspect speed and lack of driving experience are factors in this case.
I’m saying NO to barriers !!
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Raise the driving age to 21 and take 2000 cars off the road in an instant. Problem solved!
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