CAMPAIGNERS are urging road bosses to make safety improvements after a man was killed in a three-vehicle crash on the A120.

Residents living in the area say they have been pleading with Highways England, which is responsible for the road, to make changes to make it safer for years but claim they are not being listened too.

Campaigners and councillors have suggested the speed limit could be lowered through hamlets along the road in a bid to improve safety.

Currently the speed limit is 40mph through Marks Tey and rises to 60mph until it reaches the Marks Hall junction at Coggeshall.

A spokesman for Save Lives Not Time, an A120 resident action group, said: “We’ve been telling Highways what needs to be done for many years because we know how dangerous it is.

“People come off the dual carriageway or A12 but drive like they’re still on it.

“They overtake and plenty do more than 60mph.

“It’s not a 60mph road, we’d like to see the speed limit brought down to 40mph particularly through the built up parts like Broad Green and Surrex.

“There are so many near misses or smaller shunts which happen when drivers just manage to stop in time because someone has slowed to pull into a driveway.

“Drivers need to take responsibility too. We don’t know the circumstances of this crash yet but people need to remember they’re human and they’re capable of mistakes.”

A car driver in his 20s was killed and a flatbed truck driver was left fighting for life after the Tuesday morning pile-up which saw the road remain closed until the early hours of yesterday.

Roger Fairs, the chairman of Great Tey Parish Council, stressed it was hard to make judgements until the cause of the crash is revealed.

He added: “It’s a main trunk road and you’re not going to be able to stop the overcrowding until the A12 and the A120 are improved.

“It would be nice to have a speed limit of 30 or 40mph.

“What happened was horrendous and whenever we have an incident like this we listen to the residents and what they have to say.”

A spokesman for Highways England said: “We are sorry to hear about the fatal accident near Coggeshall yesterday and our sympathies go to the families of those affected.

“Since last April on the A120 we have completed resurfacing between Marks Tey and Bradwell. We have also carried out vital road repairs between Marks Farm and Marks Tey, and renewed street lighting here too.

“We have carried out several improvements to road markings and signs between Marks Farm and Coggeshall, in addition to some junction improvements. All this work contributes to better, safer journeys on the A120.”