New signs erected as part of plan to reduce accidents

New signs erected as part of plan to reduce accidents

9 August 2023

NEW signs warning drivers to slow down have been erected at a notorious accident blackspot outside Downpatrick.

The Department of Infrastructure has responded to local concern after the Recorder revealed recently that three cars crashed into the boundary wall of a home at the Bonecastle Road over a period of three weeks.

Over the past year, there have been 14 accidents at a sweeping bend close to the Dagens family home.

While roads officials have responded to concern about the recent accidents, Downpatrick councillor Oonagh Hanlon revealed they refused to meet with local politicians to discuss the spate of crashes over recent months.

Distraught grandmother, Mrs Maria Dagens, warned that “someone is 

going to be killed” if drivers using the Bonecastle Road don’t slow down, with the most recent accident completely demolishing her garden wall, which has already been rebuilt on several occasions.

While politicians had been seeking an urgent site meeting with senior officials from the Department for Infrastructure to discuss the high number of accidents, Cllr Hanlon said the request was refused.

Welcoming the provision of signs warning drivers they are approaching a sweeping bend and describing the move as a“step in the right direction”, Cllr Hanlon confirmed she intends to monitor how effective they are.

“I am disappointed that roads officials rejected our request for a site meeting given the anguish that has been caused to local residents and drivers as a result of these recent accidents,” she said.

“Although the new signs are steps in the right direction, we will be monitoring how effective these measures are and hope they are successful in helping to prevent further heartbreak on the Bonecastle Road.” 

Three weeks ago, Mrs Dagens revealed her grandchildren normally play in the front garden of her home and that when they are there, she and her husband are with them at all times.

In addition, the grandmother said the couple have difficulty sleeping at night as they are literally waiting for the next car to crash into their property, explaining the force of some of the accidents propels parts of the smashed wall into the front of the house.

“We built the wall to protect our home but it has been damaged so many times by people driving too fast. If they don’t slow down, someone is going to be killed and I don’t want it to be my grandchildren,” she continued,

Mrs Dagens said a CCTV camera has been erected at the front of the house with the footage of the most recent accident shown to police. Since the Recorder story was published, the footage has been viewed thousands of times online.

“Cars travelling from the Ballydugan Road junction are literally flying along the Bonecastle Road and when they get to the bend near our home, drivers lose control and crash. This has to stop and people need to slow down or there will be a fatality,” the grandmother continued.

“Three drivers have crashed into our property in as many weeks and we simply cannot afford to keep rebuilding the wall at the front of our home as it is so expensive.”

Mrs Dagens said a van crashed through the boundary wall last Christmas and that while a new “slow” sign has been erected and one painted on the road, a high number of drivers are simply not slowing down.

“The most recent accidents are just the tip of the iceberg given what has happened over the past few years,” she continued.

“Cars come flying down the road and when some drivers reach the bend they lose control and crash into the wall. One of my grandchildren is three and a half and has learning difficulties and is deaf in one ear. 

“I shudder to think what could potentially happen if any of my grandchildren were playing in the garden and 

a vehicle crashed into the wall. When the children are playing in the garden my husband and I literally patrol along the wall.”

Mrs Dagens said she cannot and would not leave them in the garden on their own and that she and her husband have to be outside with them at all times.

She added: “Someone is going to be killed if driver behaviour doesn’t improve. That’s the bottom line and I’m appealing to those who travel along the Bonecastle Road to please slow down and think of the people who live in the area and indeed other drivers.”