Safety work on killer road
Nov 24 2007 by Neil McKay, The Journal
THE funeral of coroner’s son Aidan Tweddle will be held on Tuesday, as highways bosses announced road safety improvements on the stretch of road where he was killed this week.
Aidan, 21, of Hemlington Row, Crook, County Durham, was killed on Tuesday evening when his Subaru Impreza car left the A167 and ploughed into trees south of the Cock o’ the North roundabout at Durham. His sister Alison, 17, a front seat passenger, sustained whiplash injuries.
Their father, Andrew Tweddle, is the County Durham coroner.
The funeral will be held at St Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Crook, at 11am.
Meanwhile, Durham County Council have announced safety improvements to the stretch of dual carriageway where Aidan, and four other young men, have been killed in recent years.
Roger Elphick, highways manager for Durham County Council, said: “We cannot make any comment in relation to this most recent fatality, but accident records for the stretch of dual carriageway between Merryoaks and the Honest Lawyer pub in Croxdale show that young male drivers and speed have been common factors.
“Every accident has been investigated by both the police and ourselves, and there has never been any fault found with the design or condition of the road itself.
“Nevertheless, in light of these fatalities, we have had a new type of safety barrier specially designed and will be erecting it along the central reservation of that particular stretch of road early in the New Year.
“We will also be erecting it along the central reserve of both carriageways south of the Cock o’ the North roundabout in recognition of a number of less serious accidents which have occurred on that length of road where this most recent fatality occurred.” And today road safety bosses in County Durham are launching a scheme aimed at improving the skills of young drivers.
Players in Sunderland AFC’s youth team are the first group of young motorists to take part in the Young Driver Training Scheme.
The scheme will run until the end of March next year and aims to provide practical advice and driving skills to 500 young motorists.
The free courses will be delivered by advanced qualified driving instructors and are aimed at reducing road deaths and casualties among this group of drivers.
Alan Kennedy, road safety section manager at Durham County Council, said: “Statistics suggest that young and inexperienced drivers are the most likely to be involved in road accidents.
“Through this training scheme, we intend to give young people the skills and know-how to enable them to drive in a safe and responsible manner every time they get behind the wheel.”
The free training sessions will be held at County Hall, in Durham, every Saturday in the mornings and afternoons until the end of March.
Young people who would like to take part can contact Tracey Sedgwick, young driver training co-ordinator, at Durham County Council on (0191) 383-5630.
