Road safety plans to be reviewed after cow death

GPS collars, speed management and improving driver awareness are all measures being considered to cut the number of cow deaths on two commons after a third animal was killed this summer.

The cow was killed on Monday after colliding with a car by The Bear pub on Rodborough Common, near Stroud.

Minchinhampton parish councillor, Philippa Schwartz, has been calling for a reduced speed limit for more than a decade. She said she is not convinced GPS technology is advanced enough yet, but would welcome anything that protects livestock.

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) cabinet member for transport and road safety, Roger Whyborn, said the proposals will be reviewed by the safety group next month.

Commoners' rights to graze cattle on both Minchinhampton and Rodborough commons date back to Medieval times.

The speed limit across the National Trust land is 40mph, and signs are put up each year warning drivers to be aware of livestock.

GCC said it is working with police, parish councillors, the Commoners' Committee and graziers to improve the safety of drivers and animals.

One idea is to fit livestock with GPS collars and create virtual grazing zones to keep them away from traffic.

The collars work by administering a low-level electric shock to cows and horses which get too close to roads, dissuading them from moving across traffic.

But Schwartz said in an earlier trial, many cows "scraped" and broke off the collars.

"It's a very big job to GPS off part of the commons as they are quite complex due to the number of roads and the need to enable certain crossing points so the cows can move around them and do their job maintaining them," she said.

"I think the graziers would support [the technology] if it advanced in the future; they are supportive of any way to keep the cows safe."

Schwartz maintains that cutting the speed limit to 30mph across the commons is the fastest way of improving safety, particularly at night.

"I think the trouble is that a lot of drivers think, okay, it says it's 40, that must mean it's safe to go at 40," she said.

"And the truth is, it isn't safe to go at 40mph at night.

"I go at 25mph at night, always all the way across the common because if a black cow steps in front of you and you're doing 40mph, your car and the cow are not going to make it."

The Minchinhampton South ward representative said she is also concerned about the impact the upcoming closure of the A419 Cowcombe Hill for a fortnight will have.

"This will mean more people will be driving across the commons, and I do worry especially as it will be getting darker earlier," she said.

Common Hayward, Mark Dawkins, responsible for the welfare of livestock on the commons, said on average, three cows are killed each year after being hit by cars.

He added that a 30mph limit would "give drivers a better chance of stopping".

Whyborn said he is "committed to making the commons safer" and the death of any grazing animal on the road is "extremely sad".

"Drivers should remember that livestock can move onto the road unexpectedly," he said.

"Where animals are present, motorists should slow down, stay alert and be prepared to stop safely if needed. If one animal is crossing, others may be nearby."

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