Donna Dwane, who runs the post office and stores in High Street, Benwick, has started the petition because she was "horrified" at the number of deaths.

The petition is in the post office and Donna plans to fill it up and pass it on to the Citizen.

Donna, husband William and their grown-up children, moved to the village five months ago.

She said the river roads look charming but this can mask the hazards.

"We moved here five months ago and heard the stories and I was horrified so many people have died. We came from Kent originally and I am sure down there something would have been done about it," said Donna.

She tries to avoid driving along the road beside the deep drain if she can and said many of the local people she has spoken to do the same.

"Everyone you speak to has some story to tell about it," she said.

Donna believes speed cameras could be introduced along the road. "I know there has been a lot of talk about barriers but speed cameras would help," said Donna.

Response to coupons in the Citizen calling for action have been positive and several readers have come forward with suggestions for the road, including Chatteris man Reg Wenn, who suggested a series of traffic lights.

Another Citizen reader has suggested Armco crash barriers – like the ones used on motorways – but this has been ruled out by Cambs County Council.

A council spokesman said the barriers need to be anchored in with concrete and the bank is not suitable.

If the barriers were just inserted into the bank they would move with the weight of a vehicle and not prevent it from going into the water.

The spokesman said barriers had been tested on a similar bank but unfortunately did not work.

The calls for action have been heightened following the death of Dean (27) and Jordan (7) Hawes.

The Chatteris father and son died when their car plunged into the icy waters of the Forty Foot at Ramsey on December 20.