A notorious stretch of road in Carmarthenshire sees a crash nearly every two days, raising serious safety concerns among local residents and officials
Carmarthenshire: There’s been a lot of chatter about a stretch of road that’s become infamous for accidents. The A48, which runs between Carmarthen and Pont Abraham, sees a crash almost every other day. It’s a real hotspot for collisions, and folks are getting pretty worried about it.
Just last July, a tragic accident claimed the life of a 75-year-old woman. Then in November, three more lives were lost in crashes along the same stretch. It’s heartbreaking to hear about these incidents, especially when you think about the families affected.
This road isn’t even that long—only about 15 miles. But it’s packed with junctions and turn-offs that make it tricky to navigate. You’ve got nine turn-offs on the eastbound side alone, and many of them don’t have slip roads. It’s no wonder accidents happen so often.
In fact, data shows there were 169 crashes in just one year! The worst area is a six-mile stretch that saw 38 collisions. Over nearly a decade, there were over 1,200 crashes. That’s just too many for a road that’s supposed to be safe.
The speed limit is 70 mph, like on the M4, but the A48 has features that just don’t belong on a motorway. There are laybys, bus stops, and places to cross the road, which can be dangerous when you’re driving at high speeds.
Back in 2020, the Welsh Government even looked into the safety of this road, but not much has changed since then. After another fatal crash, they promised to make improvements, but people are still waiting for action.
Local MS Adam Price is calling for more to be done. He’s really concerned about the number of accidents and wants the government to step up and make this road safer. It’s clear that something needs to change before more lives are lost.
The Welsh Government says they take road safety seriously and are working on a new safety scheme for the A48. They’re looking at options to improve things, but it’s frustrating for everyone involved that it’s taking so long.