Community leaders in Portbury are calling for urgent traffic-calming measures on a busy road through the village, which has seen 30 accidents in the past 14 months.

Portbury Parish Council has written to North Somerset highways chiefs pressing them to consider installing better signage and reducing the speed limit along Portbury Lane.

The windy road, which currently has a 60mph limit, is a main link from Failand to the M5 motorway and the A369 and is used by thousands of commuters each day.

It is also a main route out of the village into Bristol and the surrounding villages of Nailsea and Clevedon.

The road has had to be closed on numerous occasions over the past year for emergency teams to clear debris from smashes.

Only recently a car ended up on its roof in a field after the female driver lost control on the bend by Racecourse Farm.

Councillors have asked for better signage along the route to warn drivers of the dangers and have requested the current speed limit of 60mph is reduced to 50mph.

Portbury Parish Council vice-chairman Pete Cooke said: "We are fortunate that there have been no fatalities on Portbury Lane.

"However, there have been some serious crashes and to have 30 accidents in just over a year is far too many.

"The parish council has been talking to North Somerset highways department and has put forward a number of suggestions, including reducing the speed limit. We have also asked them to consider installing some black and yellow signs to highlight to drivers the number of accidents on the road over the 14 months.

"Portbury Lane is a very busy road and is used by thousands of people each day and we cannot wait for someone to be killed before any action is taken."

The problems on the lane get worse in the winter months when the weather is cold and the road becomes icy. A natural spring leaks out onto the road from fields by Racecourse Farm, turning the bend into a dangerous ice rink.

Earlier this year the road had to be closed on a number of occasions – and twice in one morning – after drivers skidded on the ice and crashed.

Councillor Cooke, 60, a telecommunications project engineer, said: "The problem is worse in the winter because of ice on the road, but accidents do happen all year round. I understand that now North Somerset Council is investigating whether it is possible to divert the spring to stop the water coming out on to the road."

North Somerset Council spokesman, Nick Yates, said the authority was aware of the concerns of the parish council.

Mr Yates said: "There are plans to put a vehicle activated sign at Portbury Lane. We will monitor the effect of this sign to see what impact it has on slowing traffic down."