Neighbours on a stretch of road near Mawnan Smith have launched a campaign to improve safety after a series of serious collisions - including one involving a resident as he tried to leave his driveway.

The number of incidents and near-misses on Penwarne Road has left them fearing for their safety and that of their children.

Only last month a man was airlifted to hospital following a crash between a car and a tractor.

Retired Ministry of Defence police officer of 20 years Adrian Denyer said: "Everyone along here has a story to tell involving the traffic.

"The people that live along this stretch of road risk their lives daily every time they walk out of their properties, whether it is to cross the road, walk to the neighbour’s house or to post a letter.

"It is the same when trying to exit or enter our properties in our cars; we get verbal abuse, hand gestures, vehicle horns etc from drivers speeding along this stretch of road, as well as numerous near misses."

He said since moving to the road in October 2011 he had dealt with five serious incidents outside his house, with two cars hitting his wall - one of them demolishing part of it, causing a complete write-off of the car.

On another occasion a driver lost control on a bend and ended up going over the boundary wall of the woods opposite, into the trees.

He has already been struck twice by vehicle door this year and added: "It will not be long before someone is killed along this road; so far it has only been people’s pets that have been run over and killed."

Falmouth Packet:

Adrian Denyer's wall, which was hit by a vehicle. Photo: Adrian Denyer

Mr Denyer, who finished his career based at RNAS Culdrose, is not the only resident to have been hit by a vehicle.

Neighbour David Carter, whose house is roughly 25 yards from one of a number of blind bends on the road, was hit in his car as he attempted to pull out his driveway.

His wife Judith said: "It is usual for us to first listen for oncoming traffic before pulling out of the driveway. I heard the car start up in our driveway and as my husband pulled out I heard a tremendous bang and realised my husband had been hit by a car coming round the bend.

"The two cars were entangled on the opposite side of the road. My husband had a bad cut on his right arm and was very dazed."

Both cars were written off and the Carters have since installed a traffic mirror across the road, but this only gives a good view of traffic once it has already come round the bend.

They now only turn left out of their driveway - despite often being in the opposite direction they want to go - in order to turn round in a layby further up, after suffering anxiety since the incident.

Christine Winans said she feared for the safety of her two daughters when they walked along the road to catch the Penryn College bus - and on dark winter mornings has even driven them to the unofficial bus stop, even though it is only a two-minute walk away, which she described as "ridiculous."

She claimed that sometimes residents were beeped at by other vehicles for driving within the existing 40mph speed limit and had even had cars overtake on blind corners, as they turned into their driveways.

"The council needs to recognise that this road is lethally unsafe, not just for my kids but also for the older residents who I see catching buses along the road, and for residents turning in and out of their drives," she added.

They, along with fellow neighbours Sarah Philmore and Simon Sheldrake, have called for a pavement to be added.

In March Mr Denyer received a letter from Cormac to say that their road would qualify for a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph due to there being more than 20 houses, and that funding had been allocated ahead of public and statutory consultation.

This would bring it in line with other neighbouring hamlets such as Treverva and Lamanva - which also had a pavement, he said - as well as the main village of Mawnan Smith.

However, Mrs Winans said: "I fear without any formal traffic calming measures this will make no difference at all.

"Given recent events, surely our exceptionally dangerous road and recent near fatal collision indicates a need for action beyond the usual red tape."

Residents are also hoping to set up a Community Speed Watch scheme, which they are working on with police in the area.

Mr Denyer said: "For some reason our little hamlet has been missed out, pushed to one side and or forgotten about," said Mr Denyer. "How long this will now take to implement I have no idea.

"In the meantime, vehicles are still speeding along here, just waiting for another traffic incident to happen."