THE driver of a car which was involved in a collision at a notorious dale crossroads has launched a petition calling for better safety measures to be introduced at the junction.
Louise Robinson and her four passengers escaped serious injury when a van failed to stop at the Kinninvie crossroads and clipped the rear driver’s side of her Nissan Micra.
The collision caused Ms Robinson’s car to spin round and go off the road, coming to a halt just inches from a hedge. The accident happened at about noon on February 22 as primary school teacher Ms Robinson and her party were on their way to a trip to York.
With her in the car were her brother Will, in the front passenger seat, along with Kayleigh Toms, Tom Addison and Matthew Brough in the back seat. They were heading towards Staindrop and as they passed the Kinninvie junction, a Toyota van heading away from Barnard Castle carried on without stopping at the give-way point. Ms Robinson and Ms Toms, who was on the driver’s side in the back, were taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital for a check-up but not detained.
The driver of the van was also unhurt. The accident was one of three in three weeks at the junction, the latest of which was a near-identical crash involving three vehicles.
Again, no-one was seriously hurt, but the rash of accidents has prompted Ms Robinson to launch a petition calling for alterations to be made in an effort to cut the number of incidents at the crossing.
She and her family have met an official of Durham County Council’s highways department and enlisted the help of Barnard Castle west county councillor Richard Bell. “In a perfect world, I would like to see a staggered junction and a lower speed limit,” said Ms Robinson, who lives with her family in Holwick.
“Realistically, I would like to see warning signs.” She is hoping the flashing “slow down” signs can be put in place at the junction, similar to signs which have been put up in other areas in and around the dale. Each sign costs about £11,000 to install and maintain.
Ms Robinson, who teaches at a school in Newton Aycliffe, has altered her daily routine since the accident.
“I was travelling it every day, but now I am going via Barney, which adds a few miles to the journey,” she said.
When the Mercury went to press, the online petition had attracted 740 signatures.
Louise’s mum, Julie, added: “Because what happened was so close to home, we knew we had to do something.
“Our world was in that car – our two children, their partners and a close friend.”
Cllr Richard Bell said there was only a limited range of actions that could be taken.
“The primary cause of accidents is bad driving – people not paying attention,” he said.
“Approaching from the Barnard Castle side there is a give way sign 100 yards back from the crossroads as well as the signs at the junction.
“There is no ‘silver bullet’ for this from a highways design perspective other than knock down a few houses and stagger the junction. So we must do what we can to make drivers pay attention.
“When we met with a highways engineer we agreed to renew a slightly faded give way sign, put down some coloured Tarmac and cost up a flashing sign.
“I would also like to see the police prosecute people at fault for careless driving. I think a few convictions would concentrate minds.”
Anyone wishing to support Ms Robinson’s petition can do so at www.change.org
/p/dehenna-davison-road-safety-at-kinninvie-crossroads-b6279-near-barnard-
castle.
