Safe Speed Forums

The death of a schoolboy might have been avoided if transport officials had followed-through plans to cut speed limits on a danger stretch, it was claimed today.

David Cameron, seven, was knocked off his bike and killed by a speeding driver on Newcastle's Stamfordham Road, at Cowgate, in June 2004.

The cystic fibrosis sufferer was sent flying when a BMW driven by Mark Tye, 21, struck him on a pedestrian crossing at 61mph - more than 20mph over the limit.

Tye, of Chapel Park, Newcastle, was jailed for five years and three months for the crime but the sentence was later cut to four years.

Since then, David's grieving family have campaigned tirelessly for stricter safety measures of the 40mph dual-carriageway.


They have been backed by Newcastle Central MP Jim Cousins, who has repeatedly urged the city council to make it a 30mph zone. So far, he has been told a review of speed limits will take place in the future but there were no immediate plans to cut the limit on Stamfordham Road.


Now, a document leaked to the Chronicle, reveals the council had already proposed making it a 30mph road - at least two months before the tragedy.


The report, to the First Secretary of State and written by a Government planning inspector, is about plans to build a supermarket next to Stamfordham Road.


It was written in May 2004 but follows an inspection of the stretch which took place a month earlier. It reads: "The council also proposes to reduce the 40mph limit to 30mph on this section of Stamfordham Road, subject to public consultation and separate statutory process."


Mr Cousins said today: "If they had stuck by their proposal perhaps this kid might not have died.


"I think they should be ashamed of themselves. It refers to something that they'd already decided to do and they'd already told an inspector they were going to do it. I've been meeting them for 18 months now since the accident, which happened after this report was written.


"All I've been told is that at some point in the future - but they can't tell me when - they will evaluate the speed limits across the city, which of course includes Stamfordham Road.


"But now I find out that before poor David Cameron was killed, they'd told an inspector they were going to reduce the speed limit. Why, when I've been meeting them on this issue for nearly two years, could they not have told me it was something they were already planning to do?"


The revelation comes just days after a Chronicle probe revealed nearly one driver every 30 seconds is breaking the speed limit as they race past the flowers laid in David's memory on Stamfordham Road.


David's mother, Debbie, 36, a child minder of nearby Gishford Way, Blakelaw, said: "To think that this was an option that could have been carried out is awful. You never know, Mark Tye might not have been going at speed if the limit was lower. Or, if he'd been going slower, he might have come to a halt before the crossing.


"We're two years on now and it feels like we're sill banging our heads against a brick wall.


"We have collected a petition to get rid of the crossing and have said for ages the road should not be 40mph . We've never been given a final answer about our petition and to find out they'd already planned to reduce it to 30mph is devastating."


A city council spokesman said: "At the time of the report, the city council was considering whether road safety in the area would be improved by reducing the speed limit on that stretch of Stamfordham Road.


"However, after investigating the circumstances behind accidents occurring there, it became clear that they did not seem to be related to the speed limit and were more likely to be the result of dangerous driving. To address this, we installed new traffic signs, reiterating the speed limit, and arranged for a mobile speed camera to be situated on the site.


"We have continued to monitor the situation on Stamfordham Road and further consideration is to be given to reducing the speed limit there. We have kept Mr Cousins fully informed on this, but did not think it appropriate to refer him to a report which had unfortunately been superceded by events."

If you are going to do over 60 in a 40 limit are you going to do 30 if the speed limit on the same road was reduced....I think not.

How politicians can spin things round to make the speed limit sound like a factor when they were going faster than the speed limit ceases to amaze me. How can they get away with this mentality, are people stupid? Reducing the speed limit to 20mph won't stop those who excessively break the speed limit suddenly calm down; it will only serve in penalising the majority.

David Cameron, seven, was knocked off his bike and killed by a speeding driver

Crossing the road


64: Do not ride across a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing. Dismount and wheel your cycle across.

65: Toucan crossings. These are light-controlled crossings which allow cyclists and pedestrians to cross at the same time. They are push button operated. Pedestrians and cyclists will see the green signal together. Cyclists are permitted to ride across.

66: Cycle-only crossings. Cycle tracks on opposite sides of the road may be linked by signalled crossings. You may ride across but you MUST NOT cross until the green cycle symbol is showing.

The accidents were not related to the speed limit, but due to dangerous driving

I get so frustrated when I read storys like this, i makes me think that there are some REALLY stupid people in local government who just don't have a clue...

Trust me, I know for a fact, there are! This is why they work for the LA and not the private sector...

Surely the issue is why the driver didn't see the lad on the crossing, or even the crossing at all?

Not sure how fast you have to drive to go blind but I'm sure its not 50 mph!

Either he was distracted, or the crossing was sighted in an innappropriate place, sunlinght etc.....no real lessons will be learned from this! A 30 disc and van raises revenue, re-engineering the crossing doesn't!