Darwen family of killed man call for safety measures outside pub
11:38am Thursday 8th December 2011 in Leisure
CAMPAIGNERS fear that delivery trucks stopping outside a pub are making the road dangerous.
The pub lies at the bottom of a hill on a blind bend and, when delivery drivers park outside the entrance, traffic has to move into the outside lane to pass it.
Photographs taken by Barbara Quinn, who has been campaigning for something to be done at the site after her father, Alec, was knocked down and killed on the road, show the dangers this causes.
One of them shows a bus having to pull out, well into the right-hand lane, to pass a lorry parked on double yellow lines.
Miss Quinn, who drives for Chippy’s Taxis in Railway Road, handed a petition calling for railings outside the pub to Darwen mayor Paul Browne, to be presented to Blackburn with Darwen Council.
The petition now has almost 1,000 signatures.
Blackburn with Darwen Council ruled out erecting railings outside the pub – to force people to walk across a nearby zebra crossing – saying they would affect visibility coming round the corner and make the road more dangerous.
Driving instructor Adrian Shurmer, from Great Harwood, said: “In this case, the lorry driver hasn’t thought about whether he is causing an obstruction. In my day, the police used to sort out all the problems. Now, nobody takes responsibility for it.”
Coun Dave Smith said something needed to be done about delivery trucks.
Town councillor Brenda Cronshaw said the railings were essential. She said: “The coroner’s report at the time said something needed to be done.”
Paul Watters, AA head of roads policy, said: “I fully accept the bend has potential to be regarded a problem for unloading and crossing.
“However, the pub is entitled to this access and the road is reasonably wide and with sensible delivery times it shouldn’t be a prolonged problem.”
No one from Last Orders was available to comment.
Brian Bailey, director of regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “While there may be a perception that this is a dangerous bend accident statistics do not bear this out.
“Following the incident, a road safety auditor considered the request for railings.
"The conclusion was that the reduction in visibility around the bend from the installation of railings would compromise road safety and outweigh any benefits to pedestrians.”
Comments(23)
happycyclist
says...
12:25pm Thu 8 Dec 11
bobo898
says...
12:36pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Get your own house in order first
DJ_Jaybee
says...
1:12pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Lots of children, and adults old enough to know better - now walk into the road without bothering to look around and seem to think they are invincible...
If there are any obstructions whether that's a car, van, lorry, bus, fire engine, ambulance, road works etc in the road then if people choose to walk into the road they are responsible for judging if it is safe to cross.
People seem to forget that it's very likely that a road, especially a main road - but also side roads are likely to have moving vehicles using them, so stepping in the the road at any time is something to do with caution.
No amount of speed limits, humps, bumps, chicanes etc will stop it from hurting and maybe killing you if you forget to use the green cross code which covers obstructions in the first rule.
1: THINK! Find the safest place to cross, then stop.
2: STOP! Stand on the pavement near the kerb.
3: USE YOUR EYES AND EARS! Look all around for traffic, and listen.
4: WAIT UNTIL IT'S SAFE TO CROSS! If traffic is coming, let it pass.
5: LOOK AND LISTEN! When it's safe, walk straight across the road.
6: ARRIVE ALIVE! Keep looking and listening
anonther
says...
2:39pm Thu 8 Dec 11
DJ_Jaybee wrote:A very sensible comment.
If someone crossing the road gets knocked over - whilst not using an official crossing place - that's the risk they take by choosing not to walk to the zebra crossing.
Lots of children, and adults old enough to know better - now walk into the road without bothering to look around and seem to think they are invincible...
If there are any obstructions whether that's a car, van, lorry, bus, fire engine, ambulance, road works etc in the road then if people choose to walk into the road they are responsible for judging if it is safe to cross.
People seem to forget that it's very likely that a road, especially a main road - but also side roads are likely to have moving vehicles using them, so stepping in the the road at any time is something to do with caution.
No amount of speed limits, humps, bumps, chicanes etc will stop it from hurting and maybe killing you if you forget to use the green cross code which covers obstructions in the first rule.
1: THINK! Find the safest place to cross, then stop.
2: STOP! Stand on the pavement near the kerb.
3: USE YOUR EYES AND EARS! Look all around for traffic, and listen.
4: WAIT UNTIL IT'S SAFE TO CROSS! If traffic is coming, let it pass.
5: LOOK AND LISTEN! When it's safe, walk straight across the road.
6: ARRIVE ALIVE! Keep looking and listening
Isn't there a pelican crossing round the corner. Common sense would suggest that may be the better option for crossing the road - after all that's what it's there for.
jack daniels
says...
3:52pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Sorry....
Faithless
says...
5:49pm Thu 8 Dec 11
happycyclist
says...
6:08pm Thu 8 Dec 11
happycyclist
says...
6:18pm Thu 8 Dec 11
jack daniels wrote:If that is the case, then it's another good reason to put railings up. A man's life is worth that much, isn't it?
It's not railings that Babara wants; it's closure. I don't think she's come to terms with the events that led to her father has passing away, and some bereavement counselling should be offered.
Sorry....
CapitaBackHander
says...
6:34pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Time to point out the FACT! Drunk man walked out into the path of an innocent car - presume it didn't look life threatening at first because the police took over an hour to close the road.
The blind bend also had nothing to do with it as he walked straight out. Understandable if he had crossed where everyone else does - over the right turn into Duckworth St OR the Zebra crossing both of which have there hazards.
Sadly that is the situation and there is no point in campaiging for railings e.t.c. using the death as reasoning.
I agree this bend is potentially dangerous (not in terms of the pub death) re parked lorries and the gamble of exiting the side street next to the pub. The bend is made worse by CHIPPY taxi's REPEATEDLY parking directly outside on either side - re the campaign that would be the best place to start AND make her drivers ALL have roadworthy cars.
The bend at the Circus is bad enough BUT made even worse by the crossing that has Darwen>Bolton Traffic stop while traffic can come from the blind bend Bolton>Darwen - it is a terrible design. I am also surprised a car/lorry has not hit a car coming around the bend outside the the pub/DLC steps. I have seen them cross the white line but luckily there has been no traffic coming from Darwen>Bolton.
Anyway - fight for road safety BUT drop the reasoning for safety improvements as it is totally irrelevant.
CapitaBackHander
says...
6:38pm Thu 8 Dec 11
That said, totally agree that these lorries should be fined and the same to anyone else parking on the double yellow lines that actually cause an immediate hazard.
CapitaBackHander
says...
6:45pm Thu 8 Dec 11
happycyclist wrote:The pub can put the A boards out - that will do perfectly.
jack daniels wrote: It's not railings that Babara wants; it's closure. I don't think she's come to terms with the events that led to her father has passing away, and some bereavement counselling should be offered. Sorry....If that is the case, then it's another good reason to put railings up. A man's life is worth that much, isn't it?
The lorry can unload at the side road but not the one with access from the main road. Access from Wood Street.
If there is spare money and railings then this should be spent protecting innocent children at dangerous spots - I never needed a railing to stop me crossing the road.
jack daniels
says...
6:46pm Thu 8 Dec 11
happycyclist wrote:yes, a man's life is worth more, but do we put railings EVERYWHERE there has been an accident, or assume that people take responsiblity for their own life and wellbeing?
jack daniels wrote:If that is the case, then it's another good reason to put railings up. A man's life is worth that much, isn't it?
It's not railings that Babara wants; it's closure. I don't think she's come to terms with the events that led to her father has passing away, and some bereavement counselling should be offered.
Sorry....
allan1957
says...
7:33pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Your ferret stinks
says...
9:31pm Thu 8 Dec 11
allan1957 wrote:Well Well Barbara, how do you reply to that?
Just drove past the pub tonight at 6.30pm guess what was parked where the wagon in photo was parked ill give you a clue a taxi begging with C and ending in S enough said
Let them that cast the first stone?
K_B
says...
10:39pm Thu 8 Dec 11
It is also the responsibility of drivers passing the very obvious delivery trucks to do so safely, I have never had a problem because I can drive.
I would also point out the obvious fact that it is of course also the responsibility of those people crossing the road to do so safely.
Safety is of course why many millions of pounds are spent on pedestrian crossings, railings and other safety measures just like the one just 20 metres from the door of the last orders but if you just take a look at the Bridgewater at a weekend, you'll see just what good crossings and safety measures do when people are popped up and don't give a toss about road safety and yes, of course the obligatory taxis are parked all over the zig-zags and yellow lines.
Keep Darwen Green
says...
11:31pm Thu 8 Dec 11
This is classic " lets cover me own arse " behaviour. What the inspector fails to say is if the path was lowered to its original position the barrier could be replaced from where we took it. The path on the corner has been raised about 2 feet. There were no deaths when the barrier was in place and now us bright lads at the council have removed it there has been one.
Sometimes it helps if you tell the full story. Furthermore when the barrier was in place, neither taxi or delivery wagon could unload in that position.
So its just the council trying desparately not to have blood on their hands
ossybsting
says...
11:51pm Thu 8 Dec 11
CapitaBackHander wrote:you need to get out more
First off the death has NOTHING to do with this arguement. Time to point out the FACT! Drunk man walked out into the path of an innocent car - presume it didn't look life threatening at first because the police took over an hour to close the road. The blind bend also had nothing to do with it as he walked straight out. Understandable if he had crossed where everyone else does - over the right turn into Duckworth St OR the Zebra crossing both of which have there hazards. Sadly that is the situation and there is no point in campaiging for railings e.t.c. using the death as reasoning. I agree this bend is potentially dangerous (not in terms of the pub death) re parked lorries and the gamble of exiting the side street next to the pub. The bend is made worse by CHIPPY taxi's REPEATEDLY parking directly outside on either side - re the campaign that would be the best place to start AND make her drivers ALL have roadworthy cars. The bend at the Circus is bad enough BUT made even worse by the crossing that has Darwen>Bolton Traffic stop while traffic can come from the blind bend Bolton>Darwen - it is a terrible design. I am also surprised a car/lorry has not hit a car coming around the bend outside the the pub/DLC steps. I have seen them cross the white line but luckily there has been no traffic coming from Darwen>Bolton. Anyway - fight for road safety BUT drop the reasoning for safety improvements as it is totally irrelevant.
unbelievable
says...
11:56pm Thu 8 Dec 11
Now obviously I am sad someone died .
But I canot see the connection .
Was a lorry delivering when the poor guy got hit ? No . Then why does that come into the discussion ?
Yes it is a bad bend . Personally I drive round that very carefully .
I agree with the comments about tax drivers .
Their standard of driving is atrocious .
And for some reason they are immune from parking rules , speed limits , and vehicle roadworthiness .
K_B makes a very good point about The Bridgewater .
Others have made excellent points about the existance of a zebra crossing nearby .
Tomorrow I have to pick up wife and friends from a "girls night out" from Blackburn , to Darwen . Approx midnight .
I will be on "red alert" throughout .
As I guarantee there will be intoxicated people crossing the road - and I need to avoid hitting them .
I really wish they would wear something white .
Let me repeat .
I am sad someone was killed .
But if he had used the crossing or been more visible or sober - the tragedy mght not have happened .
mfay
says...
4:08am Fri 9 Dec 11
taxi_driver
says...
10:59am Fri 9 Dec 11
louderfasterlonger
says...
7:23am Sat 10 Dec 11
happycyclist wrote:Planning officers have deemed railings to be hazardous..... would that not make the council irresponsible to approve them ?
Jeez! For the price of a few yards of railing, people coming out of the pub will be safe, and nobody will be able to park on the bend and make the road dangerous. Two GOOD reasons why the council should stop dicking about and just DO IT!
potkettleblack63
says...
12:38am Sun 11 Dec 11
Whitehall Rover says...
12:11pm Thu 8 Dec 11
There is plenty of parking space near the fire escape from this pub. Just need to get the wagon driver to use it. They would probably complain that they had further to walk the barrels, but this is better than causing accidents.