Highways Agency to review A31 speed limit after death of Jade Clark

Residents and councillors have been calling for a cut from 70mph to 50mph at Ringwood following a series of serious accidents.

Jade Clark, 16, from Ringwood, was killed when she was knocked off her red scooter in a collision involving a light coloured Volvo XC90 last month.

Ringwood Town Council has been campaigning for a 50mph restriction between Picket Post and the Ashley Heath roundabout but had been told by the Highways Agency that the casualty rate was not high enough to justify it.

Now the agency has told the Daily Echo it will review the situation.

A spokesman said: “Safe roads are our top priority and we work hard to understand why incidents occur and do all we can to reduce them. We will continue to keep safety on the A31 continually under review and have made a commitment to Ringwood Town Council that we will further review the speed limits.”

New Forest district and Ringwood town councillor Cllr Michael Thierry said: “I welcome the fact they are going to review the situation on the A31. Quite what they decide following their review remains to be seen.

“We believe a temporary reduction in the speed limit would help ease the number of accidents there. We know not everyone will abide by the speed limit but it will make many slow down.

“The town council is not going to stop – the campaign will go on.”

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne added: “I welcome this move by the Highways Agency but that doesn’t prevent me from pursuing my requests for a meeting with the minister and the town council.”

He said the stretch in question was through an urban area and therefore should have a 50mph limit on it in exactly the same way the Spur Road through Bournemouth does.

Jade’s funeral will take place at Bournemouth Crematorium on Friday at 3pm.

Her family has asked mourners to make donations to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service in memory of the former member of Ringwood’s Young Firefighters Association.