THE speed limit on a road which claimed seven lives in just 12 months looks set to be slashed in a bid to halt the rising death toll.

The mounting number of fatalities on the A133 Weeley and Little Clacton bypass has soared since last year.

District councillors said they were appalled by the carnage and called for an urgent probe into cause of the accidents.

MPs Douglas Carswell and Bernard Jenkin also wrote to County Hall roads bosses to ask for a review.

The county council has now published the key findings of its report.

Statistics show there have been 60 collisions along the four-mile route over the last ten years.

More than a quarter of crashes involved vehicles overtaking or crossing on to the opposite carriageway.

Seven accidents involved pedestrians or cyclists, who are classed as vulnerable road users.

Two cyclists and a pedestrian were among the fatalities.

Just over a quarter of the smashes over the last decade have involved motorbikes or mopeds.

The report says: "There is an issue of drivers overtaking vehicles and crossing over into the opposing

carriageway leading to head-on collisions."

Experts say the number of cars trying to overtake is high because the road is straight and wide between Weeley and Clacton, with good visibility.

They blame poor overtaking rather than speed for the number of crashes

The report says: "Looking at the route as a whole, the collision and speed data does not suggest that there is a significant speed-related issue with regards to the overtaking manoeuvres. It would appear that the issue is poor overtaking manoeuvres or, motorists attempting to overtake multiple vehicles."

Highways bosses want to cut the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph as an experiment for 12 months.

There will also be improvements to signs and road markings at roundabouts, and more warning signs will be put up highlighting motorcyclists.

The report says: "It is expected that by reducing the speed limit to 50mph the need to overtake slower vehicles will be reduced. The lowering of the speed limit may also help reduce the severity of collisions, as any impact speed would be reduced."

Local councillor Mike Brown originally called for an investigation after two men in their 70s died in a head-on collision on Easter Monday this year.

"Making it 50mph can only help but I don't think it will stop people in a hurry who want to overtake," he said.

"You are not going to stop the nutters.

"I'm not sure what the answer is – it's down to the experts."

Tendring Council is due to discuss the report on Tuesday night.***NOV29***