Proposals to reduce the speed limit on Queens Drive have been backed by Swindon Borough Council. 

This means the busy road which has a limit of 40mph could be dropped to 30mph in the future - in a bid to make it safer and reduce the number of accidents. 

It comes after councillors supported a motion in February last year calling for additional road safety measures to be introduced on the busy stretch of road between Whitbourne Avenue and Drakes Way.

This was due to children crossing the road on their way to neighbouring schools in the area.

A detailed study of Queens Drive, which was commissioned after the motion, reported there were 37 crashes on the road between February 2018 and January 2023, three of which were classed as serious and 34 were recorded as slight.

There were no fatal accidents in the same period.

Of the 47 casualties recorded, 12 were children and three were over the age of 60.

Nine accidents involved 12 pedestrians, while four accidents involved cyclists.

There were five accidents involving motorcycles.

The study concluded lower speeds may help to reduce the severity of any collisions and improve driver response times at crossings, and there is a case for reducing the speed limit to 30mph north of the Whitbourne Avenue junction.

The proposed changes to the Traffic Regulation Order, which imposes the speed limits, will be formally advertised and, if approved, the new speed limit will be adopted later this year.

Additional signage would also be provided to highlight the reduced speed limit and the existing pedestrian crossing points.

Before this decision a road safety campaign was set up by a group of locals called Working to make Queens Drive Safer - Swindon. 

While they have welcomed this move from the council, a spokesperson has said action is needed quickly. 

He said: "It is welcome news but we need action now, not in six months because the next accident could well be a fatality.

"The last child was missed by split seconds thankfully. We can't risk any more lives."

As well as a reduced speed limit, the group has called for a community speed watch to be set up on the road and changes to the pedestrian crossings to make them school crossing zones.

They have also called for clear and visible signs to warn drivers that children may be crossing, as well as other safety measures in the area.