Council Leader Questioned Over Highway Safety Following Fatal Roud Road Crash

The leader of the Isle of Wight Council has been questioned over highway safety after a recent car crash which led to the death of much-loved Islander and rugby player Tristan Price.

Reform UK Central Rural councillor Caroline Gladwin told full council last week she had warned Island Roads and Highways there could be a fatal accident at the “very spot” of the January 3 collision five months before and requested action in the form of a warning sign.

However, in a written response, which was not read out during the January 21 meeting, Cllr Jordan said Cllr Gladwin’s requested ‘T junction sign’ on the approach to Whitwell Road on Roud Road would not have made a difference to the accident due to the vehicle ‘approaching from the other direction’.

Cllr Gladwin said:

“On January 3 there was tragically a fatal car accident in my ward at the very spot I had warned Island Roads and Highways there could be a fatal accident five months before and requested action in the way of a warning sign.

“I was informed that all such requests are only considered at a November annual review and my request for it to be made urgent fell on deaf ears.

"Also, from the responses, it is clear that no investigation took place that would have exposed the full extent of the problem.

“In future, can all such requests from councillors with serious safety issues be treated urgently?”

Cllr Jordan’s response said the January 3 accident is still part of an ongoing police investigation and further information may become available from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary at a later date.

“The records show that you requested a T junction sign on the approach to Whitwell Road on Roud Road,” it noted.

“Although the request is in the same vicinity as the road traffic incident, a T junction sign would not have made a difference to this accident as the vehicle was approaching from the other direction.”

The statement continued:

“All requests for additional safety features on the network from both councillors and residents are considered using the Highways Safety Improvement Register.

"This takes into account casualty, collision data, and road condition to determine a level of risk if the addition of a sign – or other safety feature – is, or is not, considered for introduction onto the road network”.

“Under safety assessments, those requests that achieve the highest indexed score become the priority for installation, subject to available budget.

“To give some context there have been 2141 HSIR requests made since the start of the contract in 2013 and, of those, 120 were added to the HSIR list up to November 2025.”