Roosendaal has a turbo roundabout where many serious accidents occur. Maaike de Vries can talk about it. She suffered permanent brain damage twelve years ago, where the Burgemeester Freijterslaan, Kade, Hulsdonksestraat and Wouwseweg converge. The municipality is now trying to make the area safer with speed cameras, but according to Maaike that is absolutely not the solution.
“That shit roundabout has changed my life,” says Maaike. “I had a nice job with a good salary and many career opportunities. Until one day I was cycling home and woke up in the hospital.”
A motorist did not give Maaike right of way, as a result of which she ended up with her bicycle between his car and a coupled trailer. She suffered a severe concussion and the left side of her body was bruised from head to toe. The body recovered slowly, it took a year before she could cycle again. But the brain injury turned out to be irreparable. It is impossible to work, she has been partially incapacitated for work for several years now. The situation is also tense at home. “I get up reasonably fit in the morning, but if I don’t rest in the afternoon, I can’t cook for my son in the evening.”
“It’s just not clear there. A speed camera really won’t change that.”
A few years ago the roundabout was overhauled, but according to Maaike it has not become any clearer. “They have removed some vegetation and put up warning signs, but it remains dangerous.” Motorists enter the roundabout without cyclists, but with cyclists coming down, who also come from two sides.
Recently, the municipality installed speed cameras on the infamous road to the roundabout. They will be put into use from Monday and speed drivers can look forward to a voucher. Maaike has to laugh really hard about that. “The accidents don’t happen because people drive too fast, but because they don’t watch out. It’s just not clear at that roundabout. A speed camera really won’t change that.”
That is also the opinion of councilor Selda Bozkurt of Burger Belangen Roosendaal. She has asked the council several times to change the traffic situation. “Put traffic lights there again as before. Those speed cameras really aren’t going to help, but they want to try anyway. Waste of money.”
