A HIDDEN road safety feature placed on a quiet country bridge has been the cause of numerous crashes – but can you see it?
The bollard, in the shape of a bell, was put on Widdale Bridge, near Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales, in November in an attempt to stop drivers from hitting the stone walls on either side of the bridge.
The road safety feature is not easy to spot[/caption]
The bell-shaped bollard was designed to stop drivers hitting the bridge[/caption]
At least seven vehicles have reportedly struck the bell in the past three months alone[/caption]
But the supposed safety feature is thought to have been the cause of a number of motorists hitting it as they drive over the bridge on the B6255.
The bollard is hard to see, particularly at night as it is painted jet black and doesn’t have any reflective markings on it.
It doesn’t appear to be doing the job it was meant to do as pictures of a recent collision showed that the brick wall the bollard was meant to protect was damaged by a vehicle.
An owner of a B&B in the nearby village of Askrigg, Barry Purcell, slammed the bell as a “liability” and a “stupid idea”.
According to him, a couple who recently stayed at his B&B had to be taken to hospital after a crash on the bridge.
Barry said: “There was a Norwegian couple staying with us for a few days and of course they are tourists so not familiar with the roads.
“When they approached the bridge they did not see it. They clipped it and the car ended up on its roof.”
The passenger in the car had to undergo surgery on her arm at Lancaster Hospital, according to Barry.
He said: “She had to spent two days in the hospital before she could even get the surgery because her arm was full of glass.
“The man had to come and bring the keys back and they had to curtail their stay by two days.
“They then flew back home and we lost business because of it.
“He told us that when the police arrived they told him ‘you are not the first’ so clearly it is quite common.”
It’s known that at least seven vehicles have reportedly struck the bell in the past three months alone.
The B6255 is a popular route for tourists visiting the area as it crosses the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
While the bell was designed to protect the bridge, Barry said it was “the most stupid thing they could have done”.
Barry said: “They need to install some reflective signage somewhere on the bridge.
“You come off a left-hander onto a right-hander and straight onto the narrow bridge.
“The bells can work, there is one in the village of Hawes but it is in a really sensible position, protecting a house from very large vehicles.
“There is plenty of reflective signage that can be installed, there is a warning for narrow bridge.
“You come off a left-hander onto a right-hander and you are on it.
“When I talk to people about it, they all seem to think it is unnecessary. The road is narrow enough as it is.”
Not everyone agrees the bell is a danger to driver, with some locals saying that the amount of cars that have hit the object has proved it is needed.
One person wrote: “Seems to me it’s doing its job, preventing damage to the bridge and worse outcomes for the vehicles.
“Perhaps drivers ought to slow down a tad and use their brains to determine when to give way to oncoming traffic.”
Another opined: “I think it’s a great idea to have the bell there ought to be one on every bridge round here judging by the amount of times folks keep knocking into them.”
Barrie Mason, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for highways and infrastructure, said: “The bollard was installed on the Widdale Bridge in October last year to help prevent damage to the bridge parapet which had been struck on a number of occasions.
“The road on the approach to the bridge has signs and markings alerting motorists to the fact the road narrows and that they should slow down.
“There are also white lines clearly marking the edge of the carriageway.
“The bollard, which is located away from the road edge, is painted to remain in keeping with the historic nature of the bridge.
“We would ask motorists to take heed of both the warnings and the road conditions in an effort to prevent any further incidents.”
A car ends up in a ditch having struck the Widdale Bridge Bell[/caption]
The bollard appears to have become a hazard to drivers[/caption]
