PEOPLE feel like they "take their lives in their hands every time they want to pull out on to the A259", a councillor claims.

Seaford West Conservative Councillor Liz Boorman's comments come after two serious crashes in 27 hours at the Bishopstone junction.

Shortly after 7am on Wednesday, a red Nissan Micra and a dark coloured Hyundai Getz were involved in a serious crash on the road near the junction between A259 Buckle Bypass and Marine Parade, near Seaford.

The Argus: A woman in her 80s is fighting for her life after a crash on the A259 at the junction near SeafordA woman in her 80s is fighting for her life after a crash on the A259 at the junction near Seaford

A woman in her 80s suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash and was taken by air ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Police say she is currently in a stable but critical condition.

At about 9am the next day another crash happened in exactly the same spot.

A survey conducted by Seaford Conservatives found that 87.9 per cent of the Bishopstone and Seaford West who answered said they had experienced problems with the roads surrounding the junction.

Cllr Boorman is now urging East Sussex County Council to make changes at the junction to prevent further injuries.

She has written an open letter with Lewes' Tory MP Maria Caulfield who told The Argus that residents had made it clear that they wanted a roundabout or traffic lights introduced at the junction to make it safer.

The pair have also started a petition "calling on them to bring forward plans to make improvements to the A259 junctions with Hill Rise, Marine Parade and Bishopstone".

The Argus: Councillor Boorman is camapigning for change at the junctionCouncillor Boorman is camapigning for change at the junction

"Residents want additional safety measures in place in the area," it states.

"We think that it is clear that local residents no longer wish to take their lives in their hands to drive out on to the A259 at these junctions. 

"We would urge you to please do all that you can to accelerate plans for safety improvements in the area."

Cllr Boorman added: "It is tragic that another accident has happened at this site. 

"As the local councillor, I regularly speak with residents who are desperate for change here. 

"They feel like they almost take their lives in their hands every time they want to pull out on to the A259. We have been calling for improvements such as traffic lights, roundabouts or slower speed limits for a long time and are now urging that such changes come sooner rather than later, before anyone else is hurt here."

Ms Caulfield said that the speed limit had already been lowered in the area to try and make the junction safer, but "problems persist" despite this change.

She said: "Yet another terrible accident has shown just how badly improvements are needed here, and that is why we, as Conservative representatives of Seaford, have written this open letter to East Sussex County Council’s Director of Transport to urge him to accelerate plans for improvements at this site. 

"In my recent survey of the area residents overwhelming told me that they experience problems here. 

"Hundreds have told me that they want traffic lights or roundabouts, and many also want to see speed limits lowered further."

The Argus: The air ambulance was called to the scene of the crash on Wednesday at the Bishopstone junctionThe air ambulance was called to the scene of the crash on Wednesday at the Bishopstone junction

Liberal Democrat councillors in East Sussex have claimed that action at the junction was long overdue, and have criticised both Conservative MP Maria Caulfield and The tory-run East Sussex County Council for not introducing new safety measures sooner.

Seaford South Cllr Carolyn Lambert said: "What these accidents expose is the complete pointlessness of expecting the Conservatives to deliver any effective solutions. 

"They run the county council, have eight of the ten district council seats in Seaford and the MP and yet they sit around blaming each other for their own failure to take action rather than doing anything about it. 

"It's absurd. A Tory district councillor has started a petition to the Tory county council who say it is because of a lack of funding from the Tory government, and the Tory MP is demanding an urgent meeting to discuss it with her own councillors. What a mess."

An East Sussex County Council spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the collision that happened this week and our thoughts are with those involved and their families.

"This section of the A259 is extremely busy with more than 25,000 traffic movements every day. 

"Given the number of vehicles using the road, the crash record remains relatively low and the road layout has not been identified as an underlying factor in those collisions that do occur.

The Argus: Lewes MP Maria Caulfield has written an open letter to East Sussex County Council calling for action at the junctionLewes MP Maria Caulfield has written an open letter to East Sussex County Council calling for action at the junction

"Major road schemes come with a significant cost and, due to our very limited resources, we have to prioritise interventions to where the need is greatest.

"We do carry out regular assessments of all roads and junctions on our network and have identified a number of road safety measures including lining and signage work for the Hillside junction, which we hope to carry out next year.

“In the longer term, the three junctions will be considered as part of a wider study of traffic flow and road safety along the A259 between Eastbourne and Brighton

"The study will start next year and its outcomes will inform the development of a business case to seek additional Government funding for improvements to the A259.”