Moray Council responds to community A941 safety petition
Moray Council has carefully considered, but opted not to adopt, a community petition requesting a series of road safety measures on the A941, but has confirmed that some of the suggestions align with existing planned improvements on the route.
The petition, submitted by a local resident, raised concerns about visibility, speeding, and junction safety along the busy stretch of road. The petition asked the council to implement no-overtaking lines, solar-powered cats’ eyes, street lighting, a left-turn filter lane at the B9135 junction, and a speed limit review.
At a meeting of the Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee today (Tuesday 29 April), councillors reviewed expert advice and traffic data before making their decision.
The technical assessment presented to elected members found:
- The road is already wide and clear enough for safe overtaking, so adding more restrictions could cause confusion or risky driving.
- The road layout and infrastructure has not been a factor in recent collisions.
- Adding streetlights in rural areas can cause more problems, as drivers’ eyes adjust to the lighting and then struggle when it suddenly ends in dark sections.
- The speed limit is in line with the national guidelines on setting speed limits and any change pre-empts the current national review on speed limits.
- Filter lanes at similar junctions to the A941/B9135 have caused confusion. The existing junction has extensive visibility.
While not all proposals in the petition will be progressed, due to unsuitability, Moray Council recognises the community’s concerns and confirmed that the A941 remains a priority route for planned improvements. This includes new road markings and upgraded cats’ eyes, which are scheduled as part of next year’s road safety programme, subject to available resources and finalised budgets.
Chair of Moray Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Marc Macrae, said: “We’re grateful to everyone who signed the petition and raised these concerns following three serious and tragic incidents on the road last year. Although we can’t go ahead with all of the suggested changes, we’ll continue to improve safety on the A941 through our existing programme. Keeping road users safe remains a key priority for Moray Council and we’ll continue to work with the community and partners on awareness raising and education on safe road use.”