An ambulance was called to Keynsham High Street on Thursday afternoon after yet another pedestrian fell at the stepped cycle lane.
Since the redesigned High Street reopened to traffic in March 2022, there have been upwards of 70 reports to Bath & North East Somerset Council of people sustaining injuries, in some cases broken bones.
The latest victim was Kelly Copeman who has shared what happened to her and thanked those who helped her. She also said she would be contacting her solicitors and had informed the council.
Writing on Facebook, Kelly said she had been visiting Keynsham from Midsomer Norton with her son. They had been coming out of Boots and were going to get lunch when she moved to avoid someone coming towards her and lost her balance due to the ground “looking level but actually two inches lower”.
She dislocated two bones in her elbow, fractured it and said she may also have fractured her wrist.
Kelly said: “Thank you so much to those of you who helped. The kind lady who looked out for my son and got him some lunch. She also really helped keep me calm. The off-duty firefighter, the shops and Boots who lent blankets and coats. The PCSOs who waited while the ambulance sorted me out. Boots even brought my son’s prescription to him. The paramedics were amazing too and looked after my son brilliantly.”
She added: “I own my own business so this is the last thing I need. Six to 12 weeks recovery, can’t drive.
“I think unfortunately Keynsham is off my list to visit for a while. I was aware of the kerb issues as family live in and around Keynsham, and even thought earlier not to go near the edge.”
Last year a Stage 3 Road Safety Audit made several recommendations for the High Street as a whole, and changes were proposed by the design team to the cycle lane which included installing red Tarmac; reducing the width of the solid white line marking the edge of the cycle lane, and increasing the number of cycle symbol markings. The cycle lane changes were introduced last August but falls have continued.
At the end of May the council announced that a Stage 4 Road Safety Audit would follow June’s remedial work to repair broken paving slabs and replace cycle stands and bollards. The council added that a design review would also be carried out over the summer to assess whether “additional enhancements” could be made to reduce trips and falls.
UPDATE MONDAY 21 AUGUST: B&NES Council tells us: “We expect the road safety audit to be published in late autumn and further updates on the design review will follow after that.”
