Skip to main content
Banner image for Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley

Conservative Association
Site logo

Main navigation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • People
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Gallery
  • Conservative Policy Forum
  • Join
  • Membership Application
  • 200 Club
  • Coronavirus
  • GDPR

Dangerous Crash on Whalley Old Road Rekindles Call For Improved Safety On Unlisted Road Between Two Busy Villages

  • Tweet
Sunday, 13 October, 2019
Whalley Old Road 7

Residents have long been predicting a serious accident on Whalley Old Road and on Saturday afternoon on 12th October their worst fears were realised. A car came off the carriageway in dry weather just down from York Village travelling to Whalley. A male driver ploughed through the National sign and drove over it before luckily hitting trees and avoiding a sheer drop.

Whalley Old Road 2

Local Councillors Ged Mirfin and Mark Hindle along with a very large number of local residents have massive concerns about the speed on this section of the road and its parlous condition along many stretches. The speed limit outside the village environs on what is an unlisted road is 60 miles per hour.

Whalley Old Road 3

Cllr Ged Mirfin states, "60 miles per hour is simply too fast. The driver on this occasion can count himself very lucky and this was on a good day. Imagine the conditions had been less favourable and the driver came off at a stretch not bounded by trees or where the tree cover was far more dense the consequences could have been far more serious. We could easily have been looking at a fatality!.There is a very urgent need to lower the speed limit on this unlisted road between York Village and Painter Wood from 60 miles per hour to no more than 40 miles per hour if that!"

Whalley Old Road 4

Cllr Mark Hindle states, "During the election campaign myself and Ged drove backwards and forwards along this dangerous stretch of road and on occasions it was hair-raising to say the least. The driver on this occasion can think himself very lucky the results could have been fatal and we could easily have been looking at loss of life. For some reason people on this stretch of road think they are rally drivers. The surface of the road, signage warning drivers of hazards as well as crash barriers and fencing along what has become a rat-run between Whalley and Blackburn/Rishton all need dramatically improving. Boy racers and older drivers ought to know better and drive more carefully along this difficult stretch of road. We will both be pressing the Highways Department at County to do something about this dangerous stretch of road. The evidence of what could happen if they fail to take action is there for all to see."  

Whalley Old Road 1

An investigation is now under way after the car was subsequently set alight the following day. Firefighters from Blackburn attended the incident just before 8-30pm on Sunday evening.

Whalley Old Road 13

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue said: "We were called to reports of a fire involving a vehicle which was off the roadway down an embankment.

Whalley Old Road 14

"When we arrived we found the vehicle well alight and used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to extinguish the fire. The fire is being investigated jointly between firefighters and Lancashire Pollice

Whalley Old Road 15

 

  • Local News

You may also be interested in

Nigel

Ribble Valley MP Praises Rapid Vaccine Rollout in Lancashire

Thursday, 21 January, 2021

Nigel Evans, MP for the Ribble Valley, has praised the speed at which vaccines are being administered in Lancashire, with 75.7% of those aged 80 and over having received at least one dose vaccine to protect against Covid-19.

News

  • Bins NOT Brexit
  • Farington West By-Election
  • General Election 2019
  • Ribble Valley Conservatives 7 Point Plan - A Clear Vision For The Next 4 Years: Putting People First - Delivering Quality Services

Show only

  • Articles
  • Local News
  • National News
  • Opinions
  • Reports
  • Speeches
  • Speeches in Parliament
  • Westminster News

Ribble Valley Conservative Association

Footer

  • About RSS
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • About Us
  • Get a postal vote
  • Membership
Site logoPromoted by Ken Hind, Acting Agent on behalf of Ribble Valley Conservatives, both at 9 Railway View Avenue, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 2HA
Copyright 2021 Ribble Valley Conservative Association. All rights reserved.
Powered by Bluetree