Crash driver leads call for upgrading at blackspot

May 21 2009 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A YOUNG Strathaven woman this week called for safety improvements at an accident blackspot where she wrote off her car.

Grace Traynor (23), from Dunlop Place, who is pregnant, escaped injury after her car went out of control after driving over a diesel spillage on the A726 East Kilbride to Strathaven Road, near Chapelton last Saturday around 4.50pm.

Miss Traynor, a hairdresser, was travelling home from her work at Sorbie Hayes Salon, East Kilbride when the accident occurred.

She said she was travelling at around 30mph as she approached the bend in second gear, when her ‘F’ registration Renault Scenic Megane spun out of control.

Grace said: “I am a responsible driver and I was not speeding, was wearing my seatbelt, and came down gear as I approached the bend where two other accidents took place on the same week.

“There had been a fuel spillage on the road but no-one from the roads department had covered it over at that point, so as I turned into the bend the car skidded off-road, through a fence, flipped and landed upside-down on the grass verge.

“As the car overturned, I was really scared and then I felt the wheel hit my stomach.

“The car then landed and I was sitting, still belted, but in an upside-down position.

After the accident, as Grace waited for the police and ambulance services, a couple stopped and helped her and two off-duty police officers also came to her assistance.

She said: “The couple stopped and let me sit in their car. They gave me wipes to clean up and helped me calm down as I was concerned about my unborn baby.

“I also want to thank them and the police officers for helping me, as many other drivers passed-by before they stopped.

“My partner Craig (27), was at the old firm match in Cambuslang.

“He came straight to Hairmyres Hospital to see me.”

Craig had also skidded off that same stretch of road a number of years ago and he was angry that accidents there were still happening.

Grace continued: “I was also a bit in shock when I realised that my 15-month-old son Zain would normally have been in the car as he is usually dropped off at my work.

He would have been in his car seat which was installed in the back seat.

“I'm convinced, even although he would have been securely strapped in, that Zain’s neck would have been injured or broken by the amount of tossing and turning the car went through before coming to a stand-still.

“I’m just so thankful that he was with his grandparents on Saturday afternoon.”

Grace was taken by ambulance to Hairmyres Hospital and was later released after being checked over.

She added: “The council should be doing something about this stretch of the road.

“There should be a warning sign for drivers, to alert them to the fact they are approaching a sharp bend or slippery surface.

“I really fear that somebody will be killed before anyone does anything about it,.

“I am still amazed that I wasn’t badly hurt.”

Grace is trying to get on with her life now, and picked up a replacement car on Monday afternoon.

A South Lanarkshire Council spokesman, said: “We have spent £559,000 over the past two years to improve road safety on the A726 between Strathaven and East Kilbride.

“However, we will continue to investigate the number and nature of road traffic accidents along the route and bring forward road safety improvements as necessary.”