Car written off after Bears Way road crash

The accident happened on Friday, January 21, at 4.50pm between Manse Road and Kilmardinny Road in the Bearsden section of the new A81 road which has segregated cycle lanes after the completion of the controversial ‘Bears Way’ project.

The owner of the damaged Vauxhall Corsa car, which only had 5,000 miles on the clock, can’t park outside her home now as there are double yellow lines, so she had parked in a nearby parking bay.

However, a motorist drove along the parking bay lane, thinking that it was part of the road, and crashed into the lady’s car which was luckily empty at the time.

The lady’s son, who asked not to be named, arrived just after the accident to find debris all over the road.

He said: “My mum’s car was shunted on to the road into the flow of traffic going to Milngavie.

“Luckily it didn’t cause an obstruction to anyone coming along.

“The female driver who had crashed was inconsolable.

“She told me the layout had confused her and she had become disorientated.

“She was not inexperienced, she had been driving about 35 years, she told me she had never come across a road layout like this before.”

He added: “There are real discrepancies with the road particularly at night in the dark.

“It’s almost impossible to see the layout especially when you are near Kelvin Timber.”

He thinks the council should re-think the road layout because it’s not safe.

Thomas Glen, East Dunbartonshire Council’s director of development and regeneration, told the Herald: “Safety for all road users is always a priority and is at the heart of the design.

“The road meets all required standards and regulations, with external road safety audits carried out at both design and build stages.

“It should be borne in mind that road design, conditions and driver behaviour all contribute to road safety.

“As is the case with any new road layouts, motorists should take the time to familiarise themselves with any changes.

“The road in question is used daily by many motorists without incident.

“Any matter of an accident is between the two parties involved, and where necessary, Police Scotland.”

He added: “The police have been made aware of this incident and have not raised any concerns about the road design.

“As with all new projects, the operational performance of the protected cycleway is being continually monitored.”