Sefton Central MP, Bill Esterson has written to the Transport Secretary to demand changes be made to Switch Island as a matter of urgency.

The move by the MP follows the latest series of accidents at the busy junction, which followed the opening of the new Broomes Cross Road or Thornton by-pass.



Bill Esterson MP, who lives in Maghull saw the aftermath of one recent accident

and reality TV star, Chelsey Harwood, posted pictures on social media after being involved in a further accident a few days later.

Bill Esterson MP said, "Highways England are taking far too long to review Switch Island. We have seen a catalogue of serious accidents. I saw an accident last Sunday and there was another yesterday. Anyone who saw the pictures of Chelsey Harwood’s car after her accident knows she is lucky to be alive. It is clear to everyone that the junction simply isn't working. Safety must come first and Highways England must act. I have written to the government minister again, demanding immediate action to reduce the carnage at Switch Island."

“Switch Island was already a busy junction and the fact that it is where the M57 and M58 meet adds to the level of traffic. So it should have been clear to the government that when the much needed Broomes Cross Road was opened, it was likely to cause some confusion. I have been inundated with comments from road users, with suggestions that range from how to improve the junction, to better signage to comments about the number of drivers who ignore red lights. People who are not used to the junction often say they find it confusing and judging by the way some drivers behave, there are clearly major problems.

“It is also clear that had Switch Island been in London, then the government would have built a flyover or a tunnel for Broomes Cross Road. The government spends £289 per person on transport in the North West of England, whereas the figure is £1,859 in London and the South East. Safety must be paramount and there should be fair funding of our roads too. Highways England has held a review. They will have heard the comments, which have also been made to me about what is wrong at Switch Island. Now it is time for action. That is why I am calling on the Conservative Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, to intervene straight away to give road users at Switch Island the priority they deserve.”

Sefton Central Labour MP, Bill Esterson is pictured at Switch Island.

Just after Brooms Cross opened I used it for the first time [Southport - M57] got in the wrong lane and ended up on the Ormskirk Rd.

On the return journey someone went through a red light and T-boned the car in front of me.

The last time I used it [Southport - Dunnings Bridge Rd] was 5:45 pm on 9th Feb, just after the Chelsley Harwood accident we managed to squeeze through before the Police arrived.

But it does save me time when everything goes OK !

Excuse my ignorance, but I'm not really sure what the problem is......
If someone goes through a red light, surely that's the drivers fault and not the juntions design fault?
This isn't really a complex juntion tbf. I think the main problem is 'regular users' who had used it for years on auto-pilot and when the layout changes they don't consider where they need to be. I've seen a few 'last-minute' lane changes and even saw one vehicle heading west up the east bound dunnings bridge road, but that's lack of awarenece in my opnion - not the junctions design.
Personally I've not had an issue with it.

[QUOTE=lawed143;6588451]Excuse my ignorance, but I'm not really sure what the problem is......
If someone goes through a red light, surely that's the drivers fault and not the juntions design fault?
This isn't really a complex juntion tbf. I think the main problem is 'regular users' who had used it for years on auto-pilot and when the layout changes they don't consider where they need to be. I've seen a few 'last-minute' lane changes and even saw one vehicle heading west up the east bound dunnings bridge road, but that's lack of awarenece in my opnion - not the junctions design.
Personally I've not had an issue with it.[/QUOTE]

Agree 100%, what the junction really needs is traffic enforcement cameras, to monitor and police the traffic lights. The number of drivers jumping red lights has reached epidemic proportions.

Just learn to bloody drive and the first rule is don't drive too fast.

I've driven over 25K miles in Europe and encountered many a more supposedly more dangerous or frightening junctions that this by far, its just the crap standard of driving ability demonstrated every day.

There's a very good reason that in our family the colour red is referred to as 'Scouse Amber'. The problem is far more widespread than just Switch Island and is with the drivers, not the roads or the signals. However, a quick way to reduce the number of red light runners would be to have a longer pause between the lights in one direction going red and those in the other direction going green.

As for the level of investment, I agree entirely. More money should have been spent and the whole length of Brooms Cross Road should have been a dual carriageway which continued all the way to the southern end of the Formby by-pass.

"There's a very good reason that in our family the colour red is referred to as 'Scouse Amber'"

Not everyone that uses Switch Island is a scouser, and not every scouser is an Amber Gambler.
FYI - Amber also means STOP. I assume from your sly humour that you think it's acceptable to plough on through Amber lights.? Tut tut.

Originally Posted by lawed143

"There's a very good reason that in our family the colour red is referred to as 'Scouse Amber'"

Not everyone that uses Switch Island is a scouser, and not every scouser is an Amber Gambler.
FYI - Amber also means STOP. I assume from your sly humour that you think it's acceptable to plough on through Amber lights.? Tut tut.

FYI - Amber doesn't also mean stop, it means STOP.

Originally Posted by tonyhey

FYI - Amber doesn't also mean stop, it means STOP.

What.? That doesn't make any sense....
I think you need to read the Highway Code again..Green is the only colour you're allowed to pass....

Originally Posted by lawed143

I think you need to read the Highway Code again..Green is the only colour you're allowed to pass....

I think you need to read the Highway Code again.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-high...olling-traffic

"AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident".

So you can pass Amber if you are close.

Originally Posted by r4dent

I think you need to read the Highway Code again.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-high...olling-traffic

"AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident".

So you can pass Amber if you are close.

Yeah but only if it's not safe or impractical to stop.! Amber means stop, you have no automatic right to go through on amber......as I said - AMBER MEANS STOP.

Originally Posted by lawed143

AMBER MEANS STOP.

No it doesn't .. and it doesn't mean GO either.

Please read my post again to see what the highway code says Amber means.