IS the stretch of the East Lancs Road that runs through St Helens borough the most dangerous road in Britain? Police are hoping to come up with an answer as they probe the causes of an unprecedented catalogue of accidents ranging from fatal tragedies to minor bumps.

In the last nine years alone there have been 14 fatalities and scores of serious road traffic accidents. And since March this year alone there have been three deaths.

Just last month, the coroner for St Helens ordered that a report by a traffic officer making several recommendations to improve road safety on the East Lancs be sent to St Helens Council, along with the court proceedings, for consideration.

The report had been put together by Constable Michael Terry, who submitted his findings for the inquest of 19-year-old Brian Byrnes of Penryn Avenue, Laffak, who was killed as he tried to cross the East Lancs at traffic lights at the junction of Green Leach Lane.

On the same day the coroner opened an inquest into the death of popular Carmel College student Jamie Eckley, 17, who was also killed ashe tried to cross the busy dual carriageway at Windle Island.

Now traffic police at Oliver Lyme Road, Prescot, are busily compiling a special report into the problems experienced by drivers and pedestrians.

Surprisingly, speed isn't the main problem on the road. Many of the accidents are caused by lack of driver concentration and each individual junction on the East Lancs poses its own problems, whether it be poorly staggered traffic signals, dim lighting on some stretches, or no filter lanes for traffic turning right. The main recommendation in the report submitted by Constable Terry was that a speed limit of 50 mph be imposed along the entire length of the East Lancs. He also recommended that the pedestrian lights at the junction of Green Leach Lane be phased to help pedestrians cross; that the lighting on that section of road be altered to improve visibility and that screening be installed on the central reservation of the road to stop pedestrians being dazzled by oncoming vehicles.

A traffic police spokesman told the Star: "We have been conducting a major survey of traffic on the East Lancashire Road to find out why there are so many accidents. Speed doesn't seem to be a major factor. Many of the the problems occur as a result of inattentive driving, driving too close to vehicles in front and failure to conform to traffic signals.

"Each individual junction also has its own particular problems and we are currently looking at ways of improving conditions on the road and at junctions. We will be submitting a full and detailed report to the Highways Agency next month."

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