Residents in Horton, near Devizes, say it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or even killed at the tight bend in the centre of the village.

They are to lobby Bishops Cannings Parish Council about safety along the road where a young woman escaped injury after her car crashed last week.

The driver, who lives locally, is thought to have lost control of her small blue car at around 8am on Tuesday, skidded and ended up in the hedge.

Patricia Heffer, of the Horton Community Group, which highlighted the problem at its meeting last Thursday, said: “This is the third time in 18 months that someone has gone into that hedge and we are all worried that someone is going to be killed there.

“I don’t know what can be done. Perhaps a speed bump would do it. In the latest incident the car was upside down in the road and it is a miracle that the young girl managed to get out unhurt.”

Coun Eric Clark, a Bishops Cannings parish councillor who lives in Worton, said speeding was a fact of life in many villages.

“The perception of local people is that the speed limit is broken more often that not. We need some way of reminding drivers to keep their speed down,” he said.

“The parish council has considered buying its own flashing signs showing the speed of cars to their drivers. But the county highways department didn’t warm to the idea so we didn’t pursue it.

“I think now is the time to reconsider it. These signs are about £6,000 for the pair and I think it would be a good investment.

“If highways is still against the idea, then I feel we should approach them about increasing the frequency of having the signs up in the village.”

The speed limit was cut to 30mph about five years ago, but crashes in the village have continued.