Dangerous 'optical illusion' cycle lane finally being fixed - after it injured more than 100 people

An infamous 'optical illusion' cycle lane is finally being fixed - after injuring more than 100 people.

The lane was branded 'the most dangerous in Britain' due to the high number of injuries - with locals blaming the 'optical illusion' design.

Photos show how it appears to be flat at a glance - but actually passes over an elevated pedestrian crossing.

Walkers on Keynsham High Street near Bristol have repeatedly missed and tripped on a 'hidden' curb - which they say looked like a flat line as it is painted white.

Since it was installed by Bath and North East Somerset Council in March 2022, more than 100 people have been injured on it.

Despite tweaks to the design, the council said it still gets an average of almost three complaints a month, according to a new report.

The authority has now confirmed it will change the line markings in hope of addressing the problem, the solid white line marking at the edge of the cycle lane will now be replaced with a broken white line, to "better delineate it from the kerb".

It will also install double yellow lines adjacent to the kerb between the cycle lane and carriageway, which it says should "provide an additional cue to pedestrians as they cross the highway".

The council hopes the mitigation should make the change in levels clearer to pedestrians and prevent further trips and falls.

The report, which was published on the council website this week, said: "Whilst the number of incidents has clearly reduced since opening, it remains an ongoing issue with a relatively consistent rate of incidents per month".

It added: "The 50mm height kerb between the cycleway and footway is not clearly visible (and further reduced at night).

"From the incident descriptions provided, it is clear that a large proportion of falls are related to pedestrians walking along, rather than crossing, High Street, whether that be because they are stepping around other pedestrians or they simply have not recognised the presence of the kerb."

In conclusion, the report stated: "The design team recommend trialling the lining interventions prior to any other physical measures.

"This has been proposed to tackle a perceived visual illusion caused by the existing continuous marking which is anecdotally causing some people to mistake the white line for a kerb, thus creating confusion with levels for some users.

"Whilst the design team and safety auditors have not identified this during site inspections, it is a low cost intervention and may clarify the situation for some users and has no significant obvious negative impacts."

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat group said the majority of incidents happened within the first six months of the scheme going in and the numbers had dropped. Injuries have included fractures, lost teeth, and significant bruising.

The lane initially had to be re-painted red in August 2022 after 46 injuries were reported on the stretch of road in the first six months.

Locals wanting it scrapped have previously recalled their experiences of coming to harm there.

One person said: "I fell into the road last year, cutting my knee, twisting my ankle and ripping my jeans.

"The council were not very helpful or even asked if I was ok. They did suggest that I use the crossing next time."

Another added: "I tripped but manage to get my balance. Don’t know whether it was the kerb or cycle lane."