Road Safety
The Parish Plan notes that villagers are concerned to improve road safety at each of the two main entrances to the Village, turning right off the A65 from Addingham, and right from the A59 from Skipton. If you have any concerns or comments about either of these junctions, or would like to record your own experience in using them, please let us know by using the form below.
You can also view here the Letter from the Leader to all Parish Councils – severe winter which was sent to us in the winter 2009/10 to inform us of gritting procedures.
I followed a speeding (50mph to 60 mph) SJ Bargh milk tanker on the A65 from Addingham roundabout on Sunday morning, 1st November. At Chelker the tanker had to slow as a horse box trailer and one other car were negotiating the stretch by the reservoir at around 40mph. The weather was horrendous – torrential rain and driving winds. As I prepared to turn right into Draughton, the tanker started to overtake the car and the vehicle towing the horsebox. It must have remained on the wrong side of the road, doing excessive speed for the majority of the distance between the two access roads to Draughton. For anybody coming round the bend further down or indeed anybody waiting to pull out of Draughton it would been quite a frightening sight and potentially very dangerous, particularly in the extreme weather conditions. I have emailed the MD of SJ Bargh personally and asked for his comments but as yet I have not received a reply.
Bill Harrison
Thanks for this, Bill. I had a near miss recently when I was coming back into the village from the Addingham direction. A driver behind me had been trying to get past for a while (I wasn’t going overly slowly!). As soon as the road opened up, he pulled out to overtake me, completely ignoring the right turn road markings. I was just about to put on my indicator and start to make the right turn manoeuvre, but luckily I saw him in time and swerved back left. I had to let him overtake me before I could turn right into Draughton. What was really frightening was that I had my younger son in the car with me, in the passenger seat!
I hear that there was another near-miss at the A65 junction into the village from Addingham on Thursday last week. Can anybody put up any details on the site?
Accident on A65 on 4th Feb. 2010 at approx. 1355 hrs
A car, travelling towards Skipton, turning Right at the first turning off the by-pass was hit by a car travelling towards Ilkley. Both drivers were slightly injured and taken to Airdale Hospital but were not detained. at least on of the cars was a ‘write-off’. The weather was misty and, I understand, the car turning right let two cars go by before turning right; this car was hit on its off side. The police were in attendence.
I do not believe that traffic islands on the by-pass would have prevented this accident.
Douglas Goode. (13/02/10)
The incidents recorded so far are not untypical of situations I have witnessed, but fortunately without serious outcome. Some time ago I suggested that Highways at least make the road markings at the junctions more prominent – I see an effort has been made in that direction I’m pleased to say. We all know more is needed.
I have also on numerous occasions mentioned to the Parish Council a need to control the hedgerow growth on the lower Low Lane heading for Draughton bottom. Although not an issue of the same magnitude as the bypass concerns, it is nevertheless quite a hazard, at worst a potential accident risk, at least an irratation when one’s car paintwork is affected by the hedges encroaching upon an already constricted roadway.