A Cambridgeshire resident has said a crash on the roundabout would be “damaging and catastrophic”.

A Cambridgeshire resident has called for the speed limit to be reduced on a roundabout, as drivers have to “take a chance” when travelling between towns and villages. Paul Tither, who regularly drives on the A1096, has said cars come “flying off” the roundabout near Jones Boatyard that connects Low Road, Hemingford Road, and Harrison Way.

Mr Tither said the area around the roundabout can get congested during peak times, which makes it difficult to drive safely. He added: “The speed limit is 40mph back where the petrol station is and then it speeds up to the national speed limit.

“People come flying off the roundabout and the visibility on the Hemingford side is quite poor because there’s a lot of overgrown trees. I’ve got a family with one child and another child on the way and it can sometimes feel risky driving around the roundabout.”

Mr Tither claimed families have to “take a chance” when driving in the area with many cars “beeping their horns” while doing 60mph on the roundabout. He would like to see the speed limit lowered to 40 or 30mph to make the roundabout safer.

He continued: “If you are coming out of a roundabout and you’re already on it and then there’s a car legally doing 60mph, getting hit at that speed would be quite damaging and catastrophic, rather than at 30mph. With children, it’s a bit worrying.

“I’ve seen people on the St Ives side take a glance and then go because they are driving so fast, they probably feel it’s safer from them to continue at that speed rather than slam on the brakes to let someone go who is coming from the right even though that’s the way you’re supposed to give way from.”

The roundabout is also used by pedestrians and cyclists. Mr Tither said: “I’ve seen people try and cross the road at the roundabout to get to Fenstanton and they are stood there for ages because cars are going so fast they don’t want to take that risk.

“We have a pram as well, so it restricts where we would want to go. We wouldn’t necessarily go back across to Fenstanton even though we used to live there because it’s not a safe route for us to take.”

Mr Tither believes more people would be willing to visit the area if the speed limit was reduced. As well as reducing the speed limit, which Mr Tither believes is the “ultimate goal”, he also thinks “more warnings” for drivers before they reach the roundabout would be useful. As the area gets a lot of tourists, many do not know about the roundabout and the layout of the roads.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “Safety on our roads is a key priority, however, we’re not aware of any reported concerns at this roundabout. Our records show there have been no injury collisions since 2024. We will inspect the vegetation on the roundabout and trim as required.

“Parish councils, any groups, or organisations that represent the local community can apply to our Local Highways Improvement programme for funding. The schemes are community driven and give local people the opportunity to put forward proposals for highway improvements in their area. More information is available on our website.”