The crossroads situated on the outskirts of two local Carshalton schools, is undeniably a busy one. Students in their hundreds can be spotted every morning, rushing across the junction to try and get to school on time. It is therefore not unusual to hear the odd scream from some of the students, often as a result of hysterics between friends. However at times, these screams can arise from something far more dangerous - there are no traffic lights for pedestrians. And every crossing is a gamble.
Located at the junction of Carshalton Road and Pound Street, those who travel through this intersection regularly are likely aware of the mayhem that accompanies this infamous area. The busy nature of the crossing, accompanied by the flocks of school students commuting, proves difficult for drivers to negotiate and anticipate hazards.
Many have argued that there should be some form of traffic light system created for pedestrians. This is especially so when considering the young age of those who use the junction on a day to day basis. Both a primary and secondary school sit on the edge of the intersection - St Philomena’s Catholic High School for Girls and St Mary’s Primary School.
Parents have particularly raised concerns over the intersection in recent years, many instructing their children to avoid it entirely and commute to a much safer set of traffic lights further up the road. Though these lights are hardly used, due to the extra time it takes to commute for the students.
Although the intersection does include two traffic islands, the corners are sharp, with those using them, unable to see oncoming traffic. One anonymous Year 13 student, even recounted her experience of joining St Philomena’s High School for Girls and the conversation her mother had with her concerning the crossroads: “I remember my mum saying to me not to cross at the intersection when going to school. There were some traffic lights further down the street that she told me to use instead. But it’s too far away. Nobody uses them - not even the adults.”
A large majority of the students who were asked about their experience when using the intersection each day admitted they would eventually cross the road on a whim.
“Most of the time you just have to guess. In the end, you have to cross, though you can’t see around the corners to see if there are any cars coming. Sometimes the cars speed round and you have to run. There are a lot of girls crossing as well.”
Although thankfully, none of the students have been injured so far, not all are as lucky as they are. A rise in accidents involving the dangerous crossing has spiked in recent months. One accident taking place in October 2018, resulted in the fatal death of a pedestrian. Another accident in recent months resulted in the serious injury of another.
And yet there has been little, to no action taken upon resolving the issues of the intersection of Carshalton Road. Many are left to fear what will happen if the situation goes on unresolved.
