Crashes at Woodmere Avenue width restriction caught on camera

Footage from a Ring doorbell camera is capturing the moment drivers are smashing into a set of posts in Woodmere Avenue in Watford.

Among the recent incidents captured are a Volvo that needed recovering by a digger and a police van that partially flew off the ground.

Tracy and Tim Vigor, whose home is directly outside the width restriction, say there is at least one occasion a week where a vehicle needs recovering and neighbours in Woodmere Avenue say numerous drivers scrape their vehicle everyday.

The width restriction, which was first introduced in 1980, has been an ongoing problem but there has been a spate of high-profile collisions in recent weeks.

This width restriction is causing problems for motorists and it is the bollards shown on the right which are being crashed into more often

The area is currently littered with broken glass and car parts and one of the bollards is leaning after being hit so many times.

Towards the end of August, a Volvo became hooked onto one of the posts and was recovered by a digger that later followed in.

Doorbell footage seen by the Observer shows the Volvo appear to be travelling at quite a speed approaching the posts. There was a heavy impact causing the vehicle to start smoking immediately.

Scroll down for two separate videos of recent collisions in Woodmere Avenue

This Volvo needed recovering after crashing at the end of August in Woodmere Avenue

A police van that crashed into the width restriction

Then last week, a police officer struck a post sending her police van into the air.

Another recent clip, from September 9, captured a van smashing its way through the restriction, immediately bursting a tyre.

Moments before that, a car driver was filmed passing through the prohibited bus lane.

clip of the police van 

The Vigor's, who have lived in Woodmere Avenue for nearly 25 years, say they want the width restriction removed.

There is a sense they feel the restriction has become pointless because so many drivers ignore signposts and illegally pass straight through the bus lane that runs between the middle of the restrictions.

A white car is filmed doing this shortly before a van travelling the other way crashes, a video clip below shows.

The Vigor's say some drivers just ignore the signs and travel through the bus lane to avoid going through the width restriction, even if their vehicle fits

Clip of a van crashing 

Many drivers hate the restriction because of the set of six bollards - which neighbours say is "over the top" - but Mrs Vigor believes the layout of the road for drivers travelling from the A41 is causing even cautious motorists to crash.

She said: "The pavement leading up to the width restriction is not straight and if drivers have their near-side tyre on the dropped kerb slightly, they don't realise and catch the first left post or even clip it.

"But not only do they hit the left site but the motion carries them forward and crashing into the bollards on the other side.

"People elsewhere think this is funny or they just say that people can't drive. But if a driver hasn't lined up perfectly, there is no leeway for them."

Tracy Vigor says the curve in the pavement, pictured just before drivers reach the bollards, is catching drivers out, even if they are travelling cautiously (Image: UGC)

This bollard pictured at the front is the first drivers reach from the A41. It has been hit so many times it is leaning right back

The Vigor's say they want the restriction taken away and a camera installed that catches any overweight vehicles using Woodmere Avenue.

If a camera cannot be installed by Hertfordshire County Council, the couple say they want to see two sets of posts taken away so the restriction is more like those in Tudor Avenue and Bushey Mill Lane.

These cars struck the width restriction at the end of August/beginning of September

Watford's MP Dean Russell has demanded urgent changes adding he does not think it is "right" drivers have to worry about damaging their vehicle because of a width restriction "which was designed decades ago".

According to the Vigor's, the council changed the design of the Woodmere Avenue width restriction around ten years ago to add more bollards after concerns were raised about the previous design.

The Vigor's say they have complained numerous times to the council about the current design but say no action has been taken.

The couple fear someone could be killed at this width restriction.

There are calls to change the Woodmere Avenue width restriction to something similar to what's in place in nearby Tudor Avenue, pictured

Meriden and Tudor county councillor Stephen Cavinder told the Observer last week he'd like to see a camera installed and said he understood drivers' "frustrations" about the current width restriction.

He said council officers have agreed to meet him on-site to discuss what he described as the "biggest issue" on the Tudor estate.