Residents at Mile Elm have created an action group to tackle road safety on the A3102 following the death of mother-of-three Tracey Rooke on March 13.

Ms Rooke, 43, of Worton, near Devizes, died after her Ford Fiesta was in collision with a lorry on the A3012 at Mile Elm between Sandy Lane and Calne.

Former teacher Sharon Wetton comforted her as she lay dying and is heading the action group to reduce the 50mph speed limit.

Mrs Wetton, 48, who met Ms Rooke’s family after the accident, said one death was too many.

She said: “Even if they aren’t speeding the point is the speed limit is too fast for the bend.

“The family were distraught and it brought home the reality of it. This is someone’s mother and daughter, it just really hit home.

“You can’t put a value on a life. That’s why I’m determined to make sure something like this never happens again.”

Calne Without Parish Council backed the campaign at a meeting on Monday and councillors also suggested better signs and road markings.

Chairman Ed Jones, who went to look at the area, said: “I was quite taken aback at the amount of traffic travelling and the speed.

“For the amount of development and the type of road there I think it would be probably difficult to get 30mph, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for a reduction of 40mph at least.”

The section of road at Mile Elm, from Tossels Farm to the 30mph speed limit in Calne, was looked at by Wiltshire Council during a review of rural speed limits.

Wiltshire Council data, collected in 2008 and 2009, records it as having the highest collision rate for the whole of the A3102 at 57.4.

Resident John Cunningham said he he had seen three serious crashes outside his house after moving to Mile Elm from Melksham three years ago.