Whitton High Street Identified as a Collision Hotspot

In September 2024 Richmond Council released a series of reports analysing the impact of the 20mph policy. The reports are available to read here.-

The main findings are:

• Average speeds have fallen by 2.6mph
• Increase in cycle, pedestrian and public transport use since 2020
• Whitton High Street has been identified as a collision hotspot. 
• Hospital Bridge Road has the highest average speed of any 20mph road in the borough at 24.8mph.
• Overall serious injuries rose 54%.
• Pedestrians suffering serious injuries increased 26%.
• Pedestrian fatalities fell 75%.
• Cyclists suffering serious injuries increased 126%
• Overall traffic fell 7.4% 

Trends

The report states that in Richmond there has been a reduction in car usage in the borough. In 2024 the number of vehicles using the roads were 7.4% lower than compared to 2018. At the same time there has been an increase in the number of people using public transport, walking and cycling. 

Vehicle Speeds

In 2024 the average speed across all roads surveyed have reduced by 2.6 mph compared with 2018. Sites that had an average speed above 24mph in 2018 saw an average reduction in speed of 4.4mph.

Speeds in Whitton

In 2020 ten stretches of road in Whitton had an average speed above 24mph. This has been reduced to just three. Only five roads in the borough have speeds above 24mph, three of these are in Whitton. 

Traffic calming measures used in Whitton include removal of the centre line and 20mph road markings. In other cases no measures were introduced and speeds fell. The three roads with speeds above 24mph are –

• Hospital Bridge Road south of Nelson Road 
• Nelson Road South of Nelson Gardens
• Hanworth Road South of Millfield Rd

Collisions

Richmond Council has provided data comparing 3 years of collisions pre 20mph implementation (2016-18) and post 20mph implementation (2021-23). Two years of Covid related data have been excluded. 

The most significant change has been the sharp rise in serious injuries, despite the number of overall collisions falling.

Year on year there has been an increase in the number of cyclists suffering serious injuries. In 2016 the total was 11, by 2023 the number had increased to 54. Comparing pre and post 20mph implementation data it shows that the number of serious injuries to cyclists increased from 61 (2016-18) to 138 (2021-23), a 126% increase.

There has also been an increase in the number of pedestrians suffering serious injuries. Between 2016-18 39 pedestrians suffered serious injuries and between 2021-23 the figure rose to 49, an increase of 26%.

Hotspots

In total five junctions and roads in Whitton have been identified as collision hotspots. Most of which have seen reductions in the number of collisions and all are located on the Hanworth Road corridor.

The anomaly and of high concern given its role as a destination for pedestrians is Whitton High Street, which has seen collisions increase 50% to 12 over the three year period, with one incident resulting in serious injuries to the victim.  Richmond council have identified an increase in collisions involving motorcyles and state that their data  shows an increase in the number of motorcycles using the High Street. A partial analysis of publicly available incident data supports the council’s analysis, although incidents involve a range of vehicles and victims.

“Conflict has increased between different users on the high street over the last few years, and the council must now review the layout comprehensively to reduce road danger” -a Whitton resident

Monday, June 28, 2021	Centre of the High street	Collision between a car pulling out and a motorcycle	Motorcycle rider	Slight injury
Sunday, September 5, 2021	Whitton Station	Car hits pedestrian on crossing	Male pedestrian	Slight injury
Friday, November 26, 2021	Whitton Station	Collision between motorcycle and car	Motorcycle rider	Slight Injury
Thursday, April 14, 2022	Centre of the High Street	Collision between a bus and private hire vehicle	Taxi Driver	Slight injury
Saturday, February 6, 2021	High Street by Bridge Way	Collision between motorcycle and car	Motorcycle rider	Slight injury
18 January 2023	Whitton Station	Collision between van and pedestrian	Pedestrian	Slight injury