THE Grayshott Society is calling for "a more enli- ghtened approach" to traffic-calming measures in the village. At the recent Grayshott Parish Assembly, proposed village traffic-calming measures were discussed. The Grayshott Society - which has been involved over several months with authorities in Hampshire and Surrey, as well as with the Highways Agency - brought up the subject of so-called "shared space" streets. The shared-space concept - which the society is asking the county councils to consider - proposes an absence of traditional traffic-calming measures in the belief that roads are safer without them. A report by the County Surveyors Society calls for widespread adoption of the concept of shared space. Grayshott Society secretary Chris Vardy said: "According to the report, paradoxically, creating barriers and divisions may worsen safety because drivers feel more confident and speed up. "The human response to increased in-car and on- road safety may be to increase risky behaviour. "We are social animals and there is evidence that the removal of control and the creation of uncertainty can slow traffic and elicit more considerate behaviour." The theory was that barriers and signs - such as railings, kerbs, traffic lights and white lines - cause crashes because people assume they will keep them safe and therefore fail to focus on what other road users are doing. Giving drivers less information by removing signs will encourage them to slow down to negotiate a safer route along busy streets and junctions. Phil Bates, vice chairman of the Grayshott Society, said: "The point of raising the shared-space concept is to broaden the discussion over what is the best solution for Grayshott village over traffic issues. "We must not just accept what is on offer. We must accept what is right for Grayshott, particularly as traffic calming has been seen as part of the A3 tunnel project, and that Hampshire and Surrey county councils have promised to obtain the necessary funding. "In the circumstances, we are looking for a more enlightened approach to traffic-calming measures and will not accept 'best value' just because its the cheapest, rather than the best, solution. "Considering the overall cost of the A3 tunnel project and its impact on local roads, surely we can expect whatever funding is required and the fullest attention over the matter. "To be frank, the proposals for traffic calming are rather vague and this is why we would like to get a wider debate going, as this is coupled with the concern that the promised funding will not be forthcoming and the village will be badly let down. "As far as I know, the budgeting was to be a one- pot approach - that is, all the money for the Highways Agency main A3 scheme, plus the two county councils' approach-road sche-mes, would be in one pot to avoid the disaster of one agency having to cut its budget."
