Dangerous Drivers on Lawrie Park Road - HOW TO STOP THEM?

[pedestrian]

Last night 25th Nov 2013 around 7pm on Lawrie Park Road, at the Crystal Palace Park End, I did my Green Cross Code bit - checked both ways that it was safe to cross the road, when I got 2-3 seconds into the road to hear screeching tires, hear someone toot their horn at me aggressively.

I used to work for the police (Dorset) and would estimate that he was doing 40-50 miles an hour. The turn from Crystal Palace Road to Lawrie is very narrow and I've witnessed it abused by speeders many times.

But this driver chose to be intimidating and aggressive. He rolled down his window and bellowed, "Have you got something to say then?"

I called back: "This is road is a 30, you were speeding mate. You're a danger to yourself and others."

I thought this might be the end of it, but the drivers scoots up the road and parks and starts personally stomping down toward me.

"Oh b*gger". I think to myself. He's Caucasian, looks early 30s, looks a touch solid and I start to expect the worse.

I call ahead: "Are you going to duff me up now then?"

Instead, he lectures me about looking both ways (impossible when I remind him he was speeding aggressively - somehow this is not registering in his brain - maybe he was shock? I did keep asking how fast he was going and he never could answer properly.)

In short he accuses me of not looking (I consider myself a very vigilant pedestrian) and won't accept responsibility for his dangerous and arrrogant attitude.

And at the end of the altercation, this is where it gets REALLY weird: he gets back in his car and starts bellowing THIS IS MY ROAD, I GO AS FAST AS I F**CKING LIKE. And he tears into his apartment block.

I respond:

"Er, mate, I think you'l find the road is property of the government or the tax payer or Highways Agency or some such bureaucracy." LOL.

He reiterates: THIS IS MY F**CKING ROAD.

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WATCH OUT ON LAWRIE PARK ROAD, KIDS, THERE ARE SOME REAL NASTY AND AGGRESSIVE NUTJOBS ON THERE!

[Eagle]

I am afraid this attitude , by a minority of drivers , is not only found in LPR.

This individual is a thorough disgrace.

Unfortunately with so few Police actually on the beat little chance of him being caught and imprisoned for agressive behaviour as well as bad driving.

Pity there were no other witnesses .

[hairybuddha]

There's loads of coppers Eagle, they're just busy in Central London at the moment telling people on bikes to wear day glo clothing. You can't expect them to commit resources to stopping people rat running at 50 mph and assaulting pedestrians.

[robbieduncan]

You should report the incident to the Police.

[pedestrian]

You should report the incident to the Police.

Totally agree accept I couldn't take the number plate as he obscured it as he continue to verbally abused me. As Eagle says. No witnesses. If the bloke want to he could have decked me.

No acceptance on his part that he was responsible for anybody else's life. Just another joyriding moron as far as I can see.

But whilst I was freaked out by near-death, I reckon he was in shock... I an only pray he'll drive more safetly in future. Some hope, huh!

It all seems a bit futile but I wonder about a leafletting campaign.

I've lived round here for 6 years and Lawrie Park would surely benefit from a couple of (self funding) speeding cameras. Or at the least a sight than reminded what the speed limit was.

Which MPs should we be contacting for action?

Ah, previous joyriders doing 98mph(!!!) in 2005

http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=156

[hairybuddha]

There is no reason for Lawrie Park Road and the immediate surrounds to be through roads to motor traffic. For the price of half a dozen bollards you could eliminate the problem overnight.

[LondonCalling]

"This is my road.. it belongs to me".. said a resident to me when i parked in Hall Drive. t**t!

[stuart]

Lawrie Park Road has been seen of multiple road deaths - possibly the worst record in SE26?

The rapid growth in on-road parking (because of the Hospice at one end and the station at the other) there is a lot of dangerous swerving around the bollards as there is. Its a major bus route and they do get into a tangle trying to get passed each other. An enforced 24/7 bus lane would be good. An enforced 20mph limit even better. Except our police are the enemy there.

Maybe the OP should try our spanking new local police Tweet system?

Stuart

[Eagle]

Stuart

Many good points.

However re too many parked cars , I find this often slows the traffic down. Imagine if no parked cars how fast some would go.

Bus lanes always welcome.

[gerispringer]

"This is my road.. it belongs to me".. said a resident to me when i parked in Hall Drive. t**t!

Thing is Hall Drive does belong to the residents...

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[simon]

There's loads of coppers Eagle, they're just busy in Central London at the moment telling people on bikes to wear day glo clothing. You can't expect them to commit resources to stopping people rat running at 50 mph and assaulting pedestrians.

You make a good point HB. Typical Met response to the recent cyclists' deaths; "lets go out and nick some cyclists".

[JRobinson]

I think you'll find that they are taking note of all types of road usage, dangerous driving, bad behaviour, etc, and giving advice, and on the spot fines to motorists and pedestrians as well as cyclists, because as well all know from various threads on here, it's not just the cyclists that break the law.

[hairybuddha]

Indeed - But they have only been given a target for nicking cyclists:

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cy ... 933789.ece

[Eagle]

Why do not some of the residents get together and obtain a speed gun ( agreed by the police ). That hopefully might slow the traffic.

I understand The Police allow this in many country areas.

[JRobinson]

HB - if you read the entire article, rather than just believing the misleading, attention grabbing, headline, then you'll see that it is clarified further down that the officers are being asked to aim to issue 40 tickets a month, for any road offences that they see, some of which include stopping in the advanced cycle stop area, or stopping on cycle superhighways, which by definition can only be issued to vehicles other than cyclists.

[hairybuddha]

You mean the arse covering public statement at the end rather than the direct operational command in the leaked e-mail?

Quote: "Officers have 4 months to do 40 cycle tickets"

[mosy]

I got the impression, rightly or wrongly, that once some vehicle law infractions were decriminalised down to council fines rather than points on licence that the police more or less washed their hands, unless an accident or assault was involved. Please correct me if not so.

What to do? Hmm. As a list, the money spent on recent sleeping policemen (road bumps) is wasted as they're irrelevant now being low enough not to cause chassis damage. Rising bollards must have been fun, in a devilish "serves you right" way while they lasted, e.g. Preston and Manchester, but gone now due to H&S. (probably wisely). Chicanes wouldn't work on a bus route. There are some public roads with "fire engine gates" that open, assuming an emergency vehicle or bus is equipped and driver knows how gate-opening remote switch works.

In truth, as a pedestrian, I doubt I'd be run down by a speeding vehicle going along a road, but I was knocked down some years ago by one which came from nowhere after speeding into CP Park Road turning right from Westwood Hill.

So, maybe for side roads, more of those full width brick bumps at the entrance might help. Awfully expensive if they don't though.
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@ gerispringer: Good valid point, as long as visiting guests can park without retribution from vigilant curtain twitchers. A private road in Chislehurst was deliberately left un-made-up (so loose gravel and deep potholes) to stop it being a rat run. Why shouldn't they if privately owned land and not council adopted?