Crash fears grow at school route junction

Residents living beside a crash-hit junction say they fear it is only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured unless safety improvements are made.

Paul Hildreth, who lives near the junction of Chart Lane, Waterlow Road and Belmont Road in Reigate, said the situation was "problematic".

"We have had several incidents of crashes and the last two, recently, both cars ended up bashing into my wall," he said.

Surrey County Council said: "Once the petition is submitted, it will be considered carefully and a formal response will be provided. We will be able to update further in due course."

The East Surrey Liberal Democrats said there had been five serious crashes at the junction since the start of 2025 and have launched a petition calling for a formal safety review.

Councillor Mike Robinson, who started the petition, said four people had been taken to hospital following collisions at the junction in recent months.

"It's very urgent," he said. "If no action is taken I wouldn't like to be responsible for the consequences."

Campaigners say excessive speed, inadequate signage and poor sight lines are creating dangerous conditions at the junction.

They said the road had become increasingly busy with the growth of local schools and warned the situation was likely to get worse.

They have called for traffic calming measures, such as table top humps and improved sight lines and better signage, to improve safety for all road users.

Hildreth said he worried about family members visiting his home and drivers attempting to cross the junction.

"There needs to be a road speed restriction on that hill because traffic comes down very fast, much more than 30mph very often, so it's very dangerous," he said.

His concerns are shared by father-of-two David Fairclough, who said his children had to "run the gauntlet of this road" on their walk to school.

"My concern is when the kids are old enough to walk to school on their own," he added.

Louise Cowan, who lives nearby, said she had become accustomed to hearing the sound of crashes from inside her home.

"It's quite stressful," she said.

"It sounds like scaffolding coming down or something but you always know it's going to be an accident."

She says she believes many drivers fail to realise they are approaching a junction.

"The painting has worn out, the give way sign isn't big enough, there needs to be much better signage," she said.

Brian Jerome, chairman of the Residents' Association, added: "I'm worried kids standing on the corners of these roads are not going to stand a chance.

"Fortunately no pedestrians have been injured. We need to take some action now."

Mark Johnston, from the East Surrey Liberal Democrats, said residents had seen conditions deteriorate.

"People who have lived here for years have seen accidents from time to time but the trend in recent times is it's getting worse," he said.

"This junction is becoming a traffic nightmare, especially at rush hour and teatime."

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