Kyle Barlow: Questions over road's safety unanswered after death of dad on A588

Mr Barlow, 24, inset, died on Saturday after colliding with a truck the day before on the main road, which stretches from Poulton to Lancaster.

While the exact cause of the crash, which happened at Cockerham, has yet to be revealed, with no suggestion either rider or motorist was to blame – with police adding the pick-up’s driver was not arrested – there have long been calls for more to be done to protect bikers and motorists on the route, which was once branded one of the most dangerous in Britain.

Millions of pounds were put aside three years ago for improvements that experts said would make the road safer, including average speed cameras which it was estimated would reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the A588 by around 36 per cent.

But the county council yesterday refused to release the original timetable for the work – or say whether it should have been done by now.

“We are currently working on a number of improvements to the A588 after being awarded funding for a safety scheme through the government’s Safer Roads Programme.

“This summer we fitted hundreds of solar-powered LED road studs, added high-reflectivity line markings, and vehicle restraint barriers on sections of the A588 from Lancaster to Skippool.

This part of the route is also due to be covered by average speed cameras, and we are due to invite tenders for this work in the near future.”

This newspaper has now asked the same questions under freedom of information laws, which means the authority must answer them within 20 working days.

The death of Mr Barlow, a keen biker and popular young dad, left the resort community reeling. His heartbroken girlfriend of three years, Rebecca Ferguson, said in a moving tribute: “You had an amazing heart of gold...”

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