AN ACTION group to make a risky road safer in Longhope has been launched after a motorist had a ‘near death’ experience.

Velthouse Lane Action Group is calling for urgent action to address the issue of vehicles approaching the Velthouse Lane junction and the A4136 at the 60mph national speed limit.

Resident Gina Gardner claims a car travelling at least 70mph down Hopeshill last Wednesday morning almost collided with the side of her car as she pulled out of the junction.

She said: “Within less than a second of pulling out, a car travelling between 70 and 75mph was coming towards my right hand side down the hill.

“By this point my car was only half way across his side of the road, causing him to panic because he knew he couldn’t slow down quickly enough.

“Instead he decided to steer left and right swerving all over the road, as if he actually thought about cutting in front of me and going onto the other side of the road and oncoming traffic.

“He decided against this and, by pure luck, managed to go behind me on his side of the road. I was practically a sitting duck in the road and a very, very scared one at that.”

The Review reported last month that Gloucestershire County Council is to carry out speed surveys of vehicles approaching the junction on A4136 from both the Huntley and Mitcheldean directions before making any decisions.

But Miss Gardner said something needed to be done sooner rather than later.

She said: “I was shaken up for a good half an hour after the incident. I felt like I’d had a near death experience – there is a reason residents describe the junction as a risky gauntlet.

“I didn’t catch the car’s registration number plate. It is about time that this was treated as a priority before there is another fatal accident on this road.

“Some residents have now been trained to use radar units, which will enable us to measure the speed of vehicles coming down the hill over the next few weeks.

“People can email us at [email protected] to report any information or data. This can then be used to provide a base line for comparison to help reduce speed limits coming down the hill, and also keep up to date with events.”

Local highways manager, Brian Watkins confirmed that the council had carried out speed surveys and he’d met with a number of residents. 

He said: “The signing and lining works that we proposed as part of the A4136 route strategy have also been completed.”