Vigilante traffic calmer confesses anger (From Stroud News and Journal)

Vigilante traffic calmer confesses anger

A VEXED Rodborough resident who put up unofficial road signs to deter dangerous drivers has come clean about his 'crime'.

Pro-active Gerry Doran, who lives on Rodborough Hill, grew tired of waiting for the authorities to do anything about the poor quality of driving shown by many motorists and decided to do something about it himself.

The resulting 'Slow Down, Stupid Drivers Ahead' signs caught the attention of not just the passing traffic but of national radio and was mentioned on DJ Steve Wright's show last Wednesday.

"The way people scream up and down the hill is ridiculous and there are a lot of kids about," said Mr Doran.

"There's a primary school at the bottom of the hill and somebody's going to get killed."

The narrow hill usually has a row of residents' cars parked along the pavement making it a tight squeeze for two cars.

Those in too much of a hurry to wait for oncoming traffic to pass often mount the pavement.

Mr Doran has seen several near misses himself as drivers fly up and down the hill at 50 or even 60 miles per hour.

"I've nearly been hit by wing mirrors on several occasions and it's a real risk for cars pulling out of the side roads onto the hill." He said there were also problems at the top of the hill where the road narrows to a bottle neck.

"There is only room for one car," he said.

"But those who don't know the road try to get through anyway." The traffic calming vigilante thinks his laminated notices have been effective.

"They are working," he said. "A lot of people have said to me they've seen a difference."

"The signs look official, they look like the government's done it and of course the government should have done it.

"Even if people don't recognise they are a stupid driver themselves they see the signs and slow down because they think the person coming down the hill towards them is one," said Mr Doran.

The highways department has already removed the signs once but Mr Doran said he would not be deterred. "They came round and took them down," he said. "But I just put up another set."