Road to get rumble strips and car-activated speed signs after 9 crashes

New safety measures have been approved for a North London road where nine crashes were recorded over five years. A new centre island, vehicle-activated speed limit signs, and rumble strips will be installed along A1306 New Road, between Lambs Lane and Sandy Lane in Rainham, Havering.

Around 1,700 cars use the road every hour, according to a previous Havering Council report. Despite the current signage, speeds of 60mph – 20mph above the speed limit – were "regularly recorded".

The accidents were reported between April 2019 and April 2024. Of those, one was fatal, while two occurred in wet conditions and another happened at night. Two-thirds happened between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

The central island will be installed between Wennington Road and Sandy Lane. Rumble strips will run along the A-road north and south of Wennington Road, and the council will paint double yellow lines along Wennington Road and the hotel access road, for Premier Inn Rainham.

In a bid to declutter the road, the highways teams will also remove the ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ) signage and prune overhanging tree branches. Signs warning of slippery hazards will also be taken down.

The busy A-road runs through Rainham, in the southernmost point of the borough, and connects Barking & Dagenham to Thurrock in Essex. It is primarily industrial, though is also home to the Premier Inn hotel, a kebab takeaway, and a field regularly used for car boot sales.

Following a public consultation in December, one resident said they "could not believe" CCTV cameras were not being installed along the road. The council responded by saying that speed cameras were Transport for London's responsibility and officers believed the other proposed measures were adequate. The £40,000 scheme was signed off by Cabinet Member Barry Mugglestone on March 6. It will be paid for by money ringfenced for the council by Transport for London.

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