Safety campaigners have called for action on a notorious stretch of the main commuter route from Fraserburgh to Aberdeen following a spate of crashes and reports of speeding.
Mary Melville, vice-chairwoman of Fraserburgh’s community safety group, last night said the A952 Toll of Birness to Cortes road should be re-designed to prevent any further tragedies.
She said: “The sooner that road gets some attention the better – a dual carriageway or straightened bends – because on the road between here and Aberdeen there are not a lot of places to safely pass.”
Mintlaw councillor Jim Ingram, who uses the road on a daily basis, said reckless drivers were “endangering themselves and potentially other road users as well”.
He said: “I’ve had at least five fatalities in my ward since the beginning of December. We’ve got to get the message across to drivers of all ages that speed can kill and it can kill the driver.”
Dave Nichols, spokesman for the charity Brake, said local authorities had to put safety first.
He added: “We know only too well the heartache and suffering caused by needless crashes and one death on any stretch of road is one too many.
“We welcome any campaigning from members of the public to improve road safety in their area and we would be happy to offer any guidance they may need.
“As drivers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians, we all have an important role to play in looking out for each other and slowing down.”
However, last night Aberdeenshire Council said there were no improvements in the pipeline for the route – and insisted the onus was on drivers to take care.
“There are no current plans to implement further road safety measures on the A952,” a spokeswoman said.
“Motorists have to take responsibility and drive to the road conditions and speed limit.”
On Tuesday, a 19-year-old man was recorded driving at 106mph on the road.
And last week, another teenager escaped with just bruising after his car overturned and landed in the garden of a nearby property.
A 61-year-old man died last October when his Vauxhall Corse collided with a Ford Focus C-Max on the Mintlaw to Toll of Birness stretch of the A952.