People living close to an accident blackspot on the A4 fear for the safety of local children after a fatal crash involving a pedestrian.

Locals are calling for road safety measures to be implemented along the A4, between Derry Hill and Studley, after a man in his 80s was hit by a car and killed, near the junction with Studley Lane, on Monday, February 6.

The accident was the latest of several along the road in the past year alone, leading many living on Studley Lane to question the safety of the road.

One man, who has lived along the A4 for nine years, said: “You get idiots driving too fast and that’s the sad thing… people take risks. There have been a lot of near misses.

“It worries me, this was bound to happen at some point. There are a lot more kids around now and that’s the worry – that this will happen to a little one.”

Swindon Advertiser: Floral tributes have been left at the side of the road.Floral tributes have been left at the side of the road. (Image: Newsquest)

A mother with a newborn baby, who lives adjacent to Studley Lane, agreed that she is worried about the safety of local children after the incident.

She added: “There definitely needs to be something done to make the road safer, whether that is lowering the speed limit or putting in lights.

“I’m bringing up a little one and there are plenty of kids who use that crossing.”

While locals fear for pedestrians, the speed of the road has also caused some issues for motorists pulling out at the junction with Studley Lane.

One neighbour, a former police officer, said: “People don’t pay any attention to the speed limit, and you get a lot of cars pulling in and out.

“It’s not safe and residents would like something done, but nobody will pay any attention to it.”

Multiple Studley Lane residents say they have written to the council in an attempt to reduce the speed limit to 30mph in the residential area.

Others are in favour of implementing traffic calming measures, such as traffic lights, although some think that this will create tailbacks that could cause more accidents if people drive too fast.

Swindon Advertiser:

In December, a woman was rushed to hospital with head injuries after a two-vehicle crash on the A4 at Derry Hill.

Just two months earlier two drivers suffered minor injuries after colliding with each other on the same road.

These incidents came two years after four young men were killed when a drunk driver came off the road close to the pub at the bottom of the hill and smashed into a nearby house.