Woodmere Avenue: 'Urgent change' needed at width restriction

The incidents in Woodmere Avenue have reignited calls for the traffic calming measure to be adjusted after a Volvo got stuck and needed a digger to free it.

The accident on Saturday, August 28, was followed by another on Sunday involving a Nissan before a Toyota was also badly damaged on Tuesday.

MP Dean Russell, who has previously raised the issue in the House of Commons, hit out at the restriction remaining as it is decades after being designed.

The Volvo stuck in Woodmere Avenue, Watford.

He said: “The three most recent incidents reiterate that urgent changes are needed to the width restriction, and I remain in discussions with Herts County Council having raised in Parliament the need to ensure that residents have a say in what happens outside their front door."

He claimed it is wrong that drivers have to worry about damaging their cars on the stretch, adding: "It also is not fair on residents who are impacted by road closures due to vehicles getting stuck.”

The latest accidents sparked a big reaction on social media with many contributors agreeing the problem needs solving.

But lots also questioned whether drivers needed to be more careful. 

One wrote: "Why do people blame inanimate objects??? You're the driver, you should slow down and take caution rather than try to get through at high speed, thus chancing damage?"

The width restriction, which is designed to stop larger vehicles cutting through industrial estates, is particularly controversial because there are more bollards to navigate than other ones nearby.

It is not uncommon for drivers to catch one of the bollards as they pass through - with the resident who reported the latest incidents claiming it happens at least once a day.

The car damaged after hitting the Woodmere Avenue width restriction.