Moray Council to consider Lossiemouth petition for road safety upgrades at scene of fatal crash
Calls to improve the safety of a road where two teenagers died last year are set to be considered by councillors.
Just over a year ago, 17-year-old Marcus Beck and 16-year-old Gregor Booth both died after a crash on the Muirton Junction where the B9135 meets the A941 near Lossiemouth.
And now, a petition calling for action to prevent accidents on the same stretch of road will be considered at a council meeting.
Submitted by Moray lorry driver Luke Stevenson, it calls on Moray Council and transport agencies to “prioritise the safety of all road users”.
The petition asks the council to add double white lines to stop overtaking, new cats’ eyes to improve visibility, street lighting along the path and a filter lane to improve vision for drivers.
It also suggests that the speed limit could be near the junction.
The petition also argues that the “critical” A941 is becoming “increasingly hazardous” for all road users.
With the lack of road separation “contributes to collisions, endangering lives and causing distress to families and communities”.
“Road safety is not a luxury but a necessity,” the petition adds.
However, a meeting report shows that council officers have ruled the suggestions as “mostly inappropriate”.
“There is a clear concern from the community about Road Safety on the A941 and B9135 between Elgin and Lossiemouth,” it adds.
“It is prioritised within the council’s works programme for 2025/26 however the evidence on the type of interventions suggested show that they are mostly inappropriate.”
The report also confirms that the A941, between Lossiemouth and the Cabrach, was Moray Council’s most dangerous road - with the highest rate of urban and rural accidents per kilometre per year.
Council figures also show that 23 people have been injured and five killed on the A941 over the last 10 years, with four incidents at the Muirton junction.
In 2024, the report added, there were three accidents on the road between Elgin and Lossiemouth - involving eight vehicles, five casualties and three fatalities.
The main causes of the three collisions were listed as, “ineffective observation”, “driver/rider being aggressive, dangerous or reckless”, “affected by drugs or alcohol”, “inexperienced driver/rider”.
The report added: “None of the three recorded collisions suggest that the road layout specifically was a factor in them.”
Of the petition’s five suggested improvements, officers ruled out all but one - upgrading road markings and cats’ eyes.
Upgrades markings on the A941 “has been prioritised”, the report said, though final plans have not been set in stone.
The report rejected calls for no overtaking lines, arguing that they can only be added when drivers have limited visibility, and said streetlighting at the site was “not considered an appropriate solution”.
Officers also argued that a filter lane may confuse drivers, and said they would not consider reducing the speed limit given the Scottish Government’s current consultation on cutting the national speed limit to 50mph.
At Tuesday’s meeting, councillors will decide whether to call for a full hearing on the petition, to reject some or all of it, to order “immediate action”, or pass it onto senior officers and the chairperson.
