“ARE we to wait until somebody is killed on Caerlee Bends?” This was the question asked by Innerleithen and District Community Council member Neil Andrew at a meeting on Monday evening when proposals to improve road safety on the A72 approaching Innerleithen from Peebles were discussed.

“We have a pavement to take people alongside the main road from the town to the steps down to the multi-use path but people are terrified to walk there,” added Community Council member George Brown.

Mr Andrew said: “One of Scottish Border Council’s policies and the NHS’s is to get people walking but the safety on that path needs to be improved.” In less than three months this year there have been three traffic accidents on different parts of the Caerlee Bends and in the latest one a car flipped on its roof, slid across the pavement, through the fence and down a bank.

Accidents have occurred to traffic coming in both directions on two bends, the western most of which tightens up as it leads to the second bend just before the start of the Innerleithen 30mph limit.

Vehicles leaving Innerleithen are accelerating out of the 30mph zone on a derestricted road and are then faced with the two sharp bends.

A police report compiled by PC Chris Burnside and sent to the community council has details of eight accidents between March 2013 and October 2014. The reports states: “There is no pattern as to the times these accidents have occurred and there are more accidents in the summer months. No drivers were reported to the Procurator Fiscal.” Councillor Stuart Bell said: “The issue is speed and many (Scottish Borders) Councillors think that reducing the speed limit is what’s needed but it takes time to implement.” Councillor Bell said that council roads engineers and SBC councillors held a site meeting just over a week ago, on October 28, as it is recognised that there is increasing pressure for a more robust set of safety measures over the entire length of road encompassing both bends.

Councillor Bell said that SBC road network manager Brian Young was of the view that there were accidents involving more local people than non-local people as they are used to the road.

Measures discussed at the meeting included extending the existing speed limit or introducing a buffer 40mph zone between the 30mph area and the national speed limit. This is a process undertaken by SBC in cooperation with the police every two to three years when suggested sites are considered against government criteria and guidance. Signage suggesting the area is an accident blackspot was not supported as it potentially only represents a brief snapshot in time.

Double white lines were also discounted as they are intended to warn drivers not to overtake and overtaking was not an issue in the accidents being considered.

Two additional signs were agreed, one would be a bend ahead warning sign on both approaches to the eastern most bend nearest Innerleithen and the second was to site back to back chevrons above the crash barriers on the apex of the western bend.

It was also agreed that the word slow would be marked on the road in white on both sides of the western bend.

It was noted that removal of gravel debris by workmen had revealed that there were no edge of carriage way markings and these are to be painted on the road.

Community Council chairman Paul Faris said: “There are some proposals here which may or may not help, I agree with Mr Andrew that it is not something to be complacent about at all.” Members also discussed the possibility of rumble strips on the road approaching the bends but they were discounted due to the possibility of causing disturbance to nearby residents.

After Monday’s meeting it was agreed that Councillor Bell would report to SBC that Community Council members are enthusiastic about extending the 30mph zone.