By Graeme Strachan

“SUICIDAL” DUNDEE youngsters are using a busy city roundabout as a racetrack.

And Councillor Christina Roberts last night said, “It scares the life out of me. I’m gobsmacked they have managed to survive it for so long.

“That’s the thing—they’ve got no fear. If the parents saw what they were doing they’d stop them from going out and string them up by the neck.”

Youngsters are risking life and limb and putting road users in danger on Kingsway East by riding up across the Pitkerro roundabout on bikes at speed.

The roundabout was landscaped and remodelled with a pathway laid across its surface.

Youngsters are riding up the verge, straight across the path and down the other side—straight into the path of traffic negotiating the roundabout from five different directions.

“It’s highly dangerous,” added Ms Roberts. “They’ve been doing it for quite a few weeks.”

“They are going across the path before appearing between two vehicles. They could cause a serious accident.

“Okay, they might get away unhurt, but it’s likely they’ll cause other vehicles to brake quickly. That could cause a two or three car pile-up.

“It’s a very, very hard road and it’s a wide roundabout. Vehicles approach at 40mph but don’t need to slow down to 15 or 20 to negotiate it.

“They can safely go around at up to 30mph and if a bike flies out in front of a vehicle going at that speed then it’s only a matter of time before there’s a tragedy. It’s shocking.”

The Pitkerro Road roundabout is one of the busiest in the city and BEAR Scotland took over responsibility for maintenance in May 2005.

A motorist who witnessed youngsters using the roundabout as a playground said they were playing with fire and it was only a matter of time before someone was hurt.

“It’s just downright dangerous. They were riding across the path and down the other side. Some were also just playing on the roundabout.

“It’s a no man’s land and what happens when they want to get off? They’ve got to wait for a break in traffic to get back onto the pavement, but with vehicles coming from five different directions you’d need to have eyes in the back of your head. Motorists were having to brake suddenly.”