North Yorkshire bridge bell bollard becomes crash hazard as drivers struggle to spot it

An October installation on Widdale Bridge on the B6255 near Hawes, North Yorkshire, to protect the parapet after repeated hits has become a traffic hazard for drivers navigating the narrow crossing. The bridge, which sits within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and links tourist routes to Hawes, Ingleton and Ribblehead, has seen several collisions attributed to the device in recent weeks. Local residents and officials say the bollard, painted to blend with the historic stone and located away from the road edge, is proving difficult to spot, particularly at night, prompting renewed calls for clear reflective signage or an alternative design.

Barry Purcell, who runs a bed-and-breakfast in the nearby village of Askrigg, has been vocal about the bollard’s drawbacks. He described the installation as a liability and recounts a crash involving a Norwegian couple staying at his property who were unfamiliar with the roads. The couple clipped the bollard on approach, sending their car onto its roof. The passenger required surgery for an arm injury after being treated at Lancaster Hospital, and the man had to return the keys and shorten their stay by two days. Purcell said police told him crashes around the bollard were not uncommon and that the incident cost his business time and customers.

North Yorkshire Council’s highways assistant director, Barrie Mason, defended the bollard’s placement, noting it was installed to prevent further damage to the parapet after multiple strikes. He added that the approach to the bridge is signposted to warn motorists that the road narrows and that the edge of the carriageway is marked with white lines. The bollard’s position was chosen to be discreet and to preserve the historic character of the bridge, and officials urged drivers to heed the warnings and adjust their speed to avoid further incidents.

Public reaction is mixed. Some locals argue the device has a protective effect by reducing the risk of bridge damage and more serious outcomes, while others say clearer signage or a more visible design is needed. A portion of residents and visitors have urged a broader safety rollout of similar devices on other narrow crossings in the region, suggesting that slow driving and heightened awareness would mitigate risk.

The broader landscape of road-safety features in England has recently drawn attention to another notorious curb nearby. In Salisbury, Wiltshire, a so-called "killer kerb" sits near a railway-station approach at a major junction and has become a social-media fixture after videos of cars bumping the curb circulated online, some reaching millions of views. Wiltshire Council installed the kerb in October 2024 as part of a £3.2 million project intended to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. By late last year, eight compensation claims had been filed relating to the kerb, and the issue has spawned a Google Maps listing and a dedicated Facebook page that keeps the debate in the public eye.