Oxford Street is the most dangerous area for pedestrians in the country with three crossings high up on a list compiled from data by the Department of Transport. The list ranks the 10 worst accident blackspots in Britain between 2005 and 2013, with the intersection at Holles Street cited as the very worst with 18 accidents (that shocking figure matched by a crossing in Coventry, coincidentally called London Road).
The areas where Oxford Street meets Duke Street and St Davies also ranked uncomfortably high with 15 and 12 accidents a piece. That means taken together the popular shopping destination in central London totals 45 accidents in the last 10 years, which surely means that long-campaigned for action needs to be taken. Is it finally time to take out the traffic completely, or replace the stuttering gridlock of cars and buses with trams?
In response to the figures, Cllr Heather Acton, Westminster City Council cabinet member for sustainability and parking, said: "Just one injury on our roads is one injury too many, but we have worked hard to ensure that the number of pedestrian injuries has almost halved since 2000.
"However, with over 1 million people coming into Westminster every day — and the thousands of tourists that throng our streets every hour, the main way to reduce injuries at most of these locations is through education and encouraging sensible driver behaviour. Pedestrians need to look before they cross, and drivers and cyclists need to look out for pedestrians when approaching a crossing.
"The council plays its part by listening to residents and businesses to locate new crossings in appropriate places, and we also have a number of pedestrian-friendly schemes across the city, with more on the way."
