12:10pm Wednesday 10th March 2010
By Kevin Bradford
ROAD safety campaigners have had the brakes applied to their plans for a traffic mirror to be placed in East Finchley to improve the view for drivers at a blind junction.
Highways bosses have rejected calls from residents for a convex mirror to be installed in East End Road at the junction with Stanley Road.
Labour ward councillor for East Finchley, Andrew McNeil, approached Barnet Council officers urging them to take action after a number of concerns were raised to him by drivers who regularly try to exit Stanley Road.
Cllr McNeil told the council that, along with “active signage” advising of a blind junction and reminding drivers of appropriate speeds, a mirror would make the right hand turn into East End Road much safer as there would be a better view of eastbound traffic.
He said: “A lot of people are frightened of coming out of that road.
“It makes sense for some sort of traffic measures to be brought in because a lot of people around that area feel very strongly about it.
“It needs a common sense answer to solve the problem.”
A petition of 187 names was submitted in support of the mirror plans but council officers have dismissed claims there is a need for the measures.
They cited the fact there have been no personal injury accidents at the location between October 2006 and September 2009.
They also said the use of convex mirrors is generally “not preferred” due to safety concerns around their usage. Having appropriate advance signage at the location “is seen as a preferable alternative” to the installation of a mirror.
But Cllr McNeil, along with campaigners, claim it is “an accident waiting to happen” and have pressed officers to reconsider.
John Perrow, of Homefield Gardens, said: “There is a very high proportion of people living here who would like to see something done because it is a nightmare.
“People are so scared if the want to turn right out of Stanley Road. We are fuming that they have dismissed it because the support is so strong.
“I don't know if public opinion means much but the community is speaking pretty loudly on this and they seem to have been ignored.”
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