A CYCLIST battling for improved road safety measures claims authorities are “waiting for someone to die” before they sort out a dangerous junction.

John Culkin, of Barclay Oval, Woodford Green, has been cycling to work in Enfield every day for three years.

This time last year, the 45-year-old wrote to Redbridge Council expressing major concerns about the road layout of Woodford Green High Road at the Knighton Drive junction.

He claims the barrier in the middle of the dual carriageway blocks the view of cyclists and drivers pulling out of Knighton Drive, and with people “racing” down the 30mph high road from Epping New Road, it is an “accident waiting to happen”.

He wants the height of the barrier reduced, a speed camera put in, and better road markings painted to tell people to slow down, but a year later, the authorities are still yet to do anything.

The father-of-two is stepping up his campaign after three cars crashed at the junction on Monday morning (March 27).

A London Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed a man and a woman were taken to hospital with minor injuries after the rush-hour smash.

He said: “I was cycling to work as usual on Monday morning and I saw three cars had crashed and a woman lying in the road being treated by paramedics.

“At rush hour it’s absolute chaos and the huge barrier in the middle of the road stops people from being able to see.

“I’ve asked the council again and again to reduce the height of the barrier and put a speed camera in.

“But they say the barrier has to be there to stop kids jumping over it and Transport for London have to log three accidents before they’ll consider a speed camera.

“They’re obviously just waiting for someone to be killed or seriously injured before they do anything, it’s ridiculous.”

Mr Culkin met with a council highways officer at the junction in November, but is frustrated by the lack of action since then.

He says with five schools in the area, more and more commuter traffic breaking the speed limit, and cyclists and pedestrians being put at risk, the council needs to speed things up before someone else gets hurt.

He added: “They say they need three accidents to happen, well I can remember at least that many in the past six months.

“There’s always flowers along the high road where someone’s died or been seriously injured.

“It’s going to cost more money in police and ambulance resources if they wait until something else bad happens, I just don’t understand it.”

A Redbridge Council spokesman said: “The police are currently investigating the cause of the accident in question and it would be wrong for anyone to speculate on what the cause is before that.

“Aside from this, we have previously been in correspondence with Mr Culkin and investigated his concerns. Accident records for this location show there have been no personal injury accidents relating to cyclists. 

“The sightlines for a right turning when approaching the junction from the north are such that there is a very good field of view, this is not affected by the height of the guard rail.

It is noted that there is a right turn filter for vehicles/cycles southbound wishing to turn right into Whitehall Road.

“While this is happening the northbound traffic is held to improve the safety of this manoeuvre. If a cyclist is turning right out of Whitehall Road the signals on the High Road would be at red so no vehicles would be coming from that direction.”