DRIVERS are being asked to help compile a dossier of shunts and other minor accidents they have had at Felixstowe's dock spur roundabout by disclosing details of crashes.

DRIVERS are being asked to help compile a dossier of shunts and other minor accidents they have had at Felixstowe's dock spur roundabout by disclosing details of crashes.

While campaigners work to get a safety scheme to stop lorries overturning at the deathtrap junction, it is also hoped to solve another problem at the roundabout.

Although minor compared with the juggernauts flipping over, the non-injury accidents which occur at the A14 junction are far more common.

The problems centre on traffic leaving Candlet Road, Felixstowe, to head for Ipswich.

If drivers go right up to the "give way" line, the find it difficult to see traffic coming round the roundabout from the right because they have to look over their shoulder and almost behind them to see vehicles coming.

This has led to many accidents where drivers have stopped suddenly when seeing a port-bound lorry or car emerging – and the car behind them then goes into the back of them.

At least two town councillors have been caught in such accidents, and the town council believes that when the major scheme takes place to make the junction safer, work should be done to stop the non-injury shunt accidents.

Because the non-injury accidents are not reported to the police, there are no statistics available.

The council though needs to build a case if safety work is to take place – and is appealing for drivers who have been involved in such crashes to let the council have the details of what happened.

Once this dossier is compiled, and the town council has formulated a solution to the problem – the most likely being moving the "give way" lines back to give a better view – the document will be sent to Suffolk County Council.

Former mayor Andy Smith said: "I am afraid this problem at Candlet Road will just get missed out if we are not careful.

"The Highways Agency is dealing with the roundabout, but Candlet Road is not a trunk road and comes under the county council. We have to put a paper together ourselves, get the evidence, draw it up and submit it.

"We have to be in the strongest possible position to put the pressure on the county council to get this work done."

Councillors will also be asked to submit their experiences of the roundabout and any details they had of shunt accidents.

n Anyone who has been involved in a shunt accident or non-injury crash at the Candlet Road entrance onto the dock spur roundabout should write to town clerk Susan Robinson, The Town Hall, Undercliff Road West, Felixstowe, IP11 2AG, with details of what happened, dates and times if possible, description or road and weather conditions, and any other relevant information.