Bell type bollard

CoolRob

Hi Everyone,

I've got a new ID Buzz van and I was turning left onto a street in Bow, London. Right on the corner there is one of those low bell shaped bollards right on the corner. I couldn't see it from my drivers position, it's about 12" high, and as I turned left the bollard scraped the side of my van and burst the back tyre on the van. I wasn't speeding and was stopped, waiting for traffic to clear and then turned left. I feel that the bollard is placed in a dangerous position and is invisible to drivers. Is there any way I can claim against the council? Has anyone had any joy with this sort of thing. The bollard could have had a pole next to it, like some do, or at least had some sort of indication that it is there. Is it worth pursuing? It's going to cost quite a bit to sort out.

oldernonethewiser

Any chance of a street view of the position in question?

Is the bollard on the pavement?

paul_c123

The bollards are deliberately placed in such a position to prevent vehicles (mainly those with a long wheelbase) from cutting the corner and mounting the pavement, which may have many pedestrians on it. They are adequately visible before negotiating the corner. For this reason, I don't see a claim as being successful.

I think you will need to admit liability for this one. Also, I believe there is a requirement to report any damage to the road furniture etc to the council too - although it probably didn't sustain any damage.

QrizB

On the whole, I don't think you'll get very far with a claim for running into a fixed piece of street furniture.

If you can share a Streetview-type image of the junction, it would help.

oldernonethewiser

Rooted into the ground, Bell Bollards serve to protect pedestrians by actively deflecting vehicle wheels from mounting pavements, street corners and curb sides.

Its Bell shape means that if it is accidentally driven over when on a street corner, the profile of the Bell will encourage the vehicle’s tyres to mount its lower curve and deflect it back onto the road ensuring the safety of pedestrians.

Can't see you having any grounds for complaint really.

CoolRob

This is one of the pictures I took. Why can't they just put a pole there so you can see it. There are poles on all the other curbs.

The road is very narrow so you have to be to the left so that other cars can come into the junction.

Here is the street view: https://www.google.com/maps/place/95+Parnell+Rd,+Bow,+London+E3+2RT/@51.534122,-0.0268739,3a,48.4y,86.1h,77.03t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1u9ojiYiHZGVlkenFS2VcA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D12.972355952089075%26panoid%3D1u9ojiYiHZGVlkenFS2VcA%26yaw%3D86.10030003004454!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x48761d3e46f41939:0xf4f61a72c18d0543!8m2!3d51.5344942!4d-0.0273262!16s%2Fg%2F11bw3g_14j?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDYyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

flaneurs_lobster

Those bollards are on the pavement.

If it scraped your van and burst the tyre then your van was on the pavement (where the pedestrians are).

It was doing its job.

Good luck with that claim.

oldernonethewiser

You have to be on the left and you swing out far enough to not drive on the pavement.

QrizB

Ok so you were emerging from the side street, had stopped at the "give way" line (facing the camera in your first picture) to wait for a gap in traffic, and it was as you pulled out and turned left (towards the right of your first picture) that you hit the bollard?

Something like this (excuse my terrible art "skills"):

CoolRob

Yes. That's right.

oldernonethewiser

But what you did was more like this I guess.