Speed limit cut at notorious Fife junction after fears over safety

A 50mph limit is to be installed on the B939 at the Strathkinness crossroads to address local concerns about excessive speed through the junction increasing the risk to drivers accessing the route from the C4.

The new limit, coming down from 60mph, will be installed 300 metres west and 400 metres east of the crossroads, and will be carried north into the C4 to the boundary of the 20mph zone and south on the C4 for consistency.

The move comes after speed surveys were carried out on both approaches to the crossroads on the B939 between July 14 and August 3 this year.

Average speeds ranged from 42.5mph to 47mph, although it was noted a number of vehicles had gone above the 50mph mark.

St Andrews councillor Jane-Ann Liston said locals had actually been calling for a reduction to 40mph but was content with the 50mph limit as long as it was properly reviewed.

“We’re accepting 50mph as a first step but there can be no doubt there are motorists putting their foot down when they go past Pitscottie and they don’t stop until they get to Rufflets,” she said.

Committee members heard that road accident data for the route covering the period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, had alo highlighted just two accidents over the five-year period - one serious and one slight injury accident.

However, statistics previously obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service suggested there had been at least 19 officially noted crashes since 2016 - an average of more than three per year.

A report to committee confirmed that ‘damage only’ accidents are no longer reported by Police Scotland, while Fife Council do not use anecdotal accounts of near-misses as reliable evidence.

Nevertheless, council officers recognised the demand for some sort of measure in the area and recommended lowering the limit from 60mph to 50mph.

Further speed surveys are to be carried out in six months’ time to assess how effective the new limit has been in cutting driver speed.

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