Safety chiefs to look again at junction

ROAD safety chiefs will study a police accident report after a driver in his early 90s was left fighting for his life following a smash.

The crash, which happened at the Freston crossroads, was one of a number of nasty accidents which took place on Suffolk's roads yesterday.

The Freston smash, which left the road to the Shotley peninsula completely blocked for several hours, happened at about 8.30am.

An elderly man had to be cut from his Peugeot car by firefighters while the driver of a van, also involved in the accident, was unhurt.

Then at 2pm yesterday a 22-year-old man died in a car crash in Lowestoft.

And at about 5pm a motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries after a crash with a car on the A1071 near Hadleigh.

Suffolk County Council said today that its officers would study the conclusions of Suffolk police's investigation into the Freston crash and consider changes to the crossroads if necessary.

There have been several accidents at the junction - which has an unusual design - over the years.

A spokeswoman said: “Our safety engineers work closely with the police to investigate serious accidents and then we look at if anything could be done to improve the road.”

Meanwhile the spokeswoman said the county council would continue to run its successful scheme aimed at keeping older drivers safe on the roads.

The council runs the Suffolk Grand Driver project which highlights the dangers faced by elderly drivers.

In Suffolk 17 per cent of driving licenses are held by over 65s and because of increased physical frailty older drivers are up to four times more likely to be killed or seriously hurt in a road accident than a young adult.

It also points out that reaction times are generally slower among older people than younger people.

Should safety measures be taken at the Freston crossroads? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.