FEBRUARY 2013 UPDATE: Two neighbouring villages that are campaigning for speed limits have joined forces to put pressure on road authorities.

Stradishall, which wants a 40 mph limit on the A143, and Wickham Street, which wants its 40 mph limit reduced to 30 mph, are to lobby Suffolk County Council together.

The two villages have been using a state-of-the-art radar to record the volume and speeds of traffic passing through the two villages.

"Nearly 90 per cent of traffic goes through the Wickhambrook-to-Clare crossroads at over 40mph. We believe that is too fast for a busy crossroads, particularly given that about 1,000 of the 5,000 vehicles each day are lorries and vans," said resident Tony Gearing.

Mr Gearing's family live in a cottage on one side of the A143 and have a market garden on the other side.

"We risk our lives every time we cross the road. Because there is no speed limit drivers do not slow down at all, even when we are crossing with our toddlers. Drivers act as if they own the road and we shouldn't be there."

Despite this "selfish behaviour" by drivers, the Gearing family has helped when vehicles have crashed near his home – at least three times in the last six months.

"I am told 10 people have died on this stretch of road. Even though the deaths have been over many years, it is still 10 too many. A speed limit is well overdue."

Wickham Street, which is next door to the old part of Stradishall, has a 40 mph speed limit, which is broken by 54 per cent of the vehicles passing through – about 2,500 vehicles every day.

Resident Sam Sykes said his family has to be very careful when exiting their drive. "Even though we are 100 yards from the national speed limit sign, drivers start to accelerate while they are still in the built-up area.

"More than once we have had to make an emergency stop because an overtaking car or bike doing 70 to 100 mph is coming straight at us on the wrong side of the road.

"If Stradishall had a speed limit up to the start of our speed limit, fewer motorists would be tempted to drive like idiots."

Wickham Street wants its 40 mph speed limit cut to 30 mph to match the speed limit in Chedburgh. "We too have properties that front on to the main road. We also have a dangerous crossroads which they do not. There is no logic as to why they have a lower speed limit," added Mr Sykes.

Suffolk County Council has a moratorium on accepting applications for speed limits from parish councils except in special circumstances. The two villages believe their radar research proves it has special circumstances.

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