Nine collisions in one year at accident blackspot

There have been nine accidents in one year at a new roundabout on the outskirts of a Norfolk town, figures obtained by the BBC have shown.

The roundabout on the A146 near Loddon was installed in the spring of 2022, replacing a staggered crossroads.

Statistics from Norfolk Police showed a total of 14 accidents since January 2022, with the vast majority taking place during 2024.

The leader of Norfolk County Council, Kay Mason Billig, said larger road signs would be installed in the near future, but she had been left surprised by the recent increase.

"I have also spoken with the police to try to ascertain whether there is a common denominator for these incidents," she said.

"And it appears there are a multitude of reasons, so it is hard to understand why this is happening.

"Nearly all the accidents occur on the Beccles side of the roundabout. There doesn't seem to be any issue with the other approaches."

The figures from Norfolk Police showed that one of the 2024 accidents resulted in a serious injury, another involved slight injuries as well as seven where no-one was hurt.

In 2023 there were two collisions - one between a car and a bicycle, the other a single car; while in 2022 there were two non-injury car collisions and another between a car and a cyclist.

Ms Mason Billig, Conservative, said the council was also looking at the lighting on the approach signs, as well as at the roundabout itself.

"If rumble strips on the road surface, which are being trialled in Chedgrave, are successful, we could look at installing them here as well.

"In the meantime, we just have to appeal to drivers to please slow down."

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