Railings to protect pedestrians walking close to a ‘killer kerb’ that has racked up thousands of pounds worth of damage are already ‘mangled’ just weeks after being installed.
Drivers in Salisbury, Wiltshire, have waged war with their council over the 13-inch-high kerb – which has resulted in damage to their vehicles and the roadside.
The raised ‘trief’ was intended to prevent cars from mounting the pavement and making a ‘more welcoming environment for pedestrians’.
But thousands of drivers have ended up with scrapes and bangs after hitting the notorious kerb.
Following a bitter row, the council reduced the gradient of a footpath, replaced a section of the damaged kerb and installed pedestrian railings on the other side of the road.
But these railings have already been ‘mangled’ by vehicles.
And a new video shows a lorry almost hitting the underside of a bridge after mounting the notorious hazard.
The ‘Killer Kerb’ is located around 100 metres from Salisbury train station at a mini roundabout on the junction between two major roads.
Railings to protect pedestrians walking close to a ‘killer kerb’ that has racked up thousands of pounds worth of damage are already ‘mangled’ just weeks after being installed
Drivers in Salisbury, Wiltshire, have waged war with their council over the 13-inch high kerb which has resulted in damage to their vehicles and the roadside. Pictured: A car can be seen struggling to drive around the kerb
Damage to the side of a car caused by the kerb in Salisbury, Wiltshire – one of at least 11,000 reported incidents in recent months
Council bosses installed the ‘trief’ as part of a 15-month, £3.2million infrastructure project.
But so much damage has been caused to the 11,000 vehicles that pass by the kerb daily that a dedicated Facebook page has been set up to inform others about the carnage it is causing.
A video posted on the Facebook page shows a large lorry hitting the kerb and driving over it, and almost hitting the underside of the bridge.
The video was taken by an anonymous worker at The Shah-Jahan restaurant, which is a business just across the road from the kerb.
A spokesperson from the restaurant said they see people hit the kerb multiple times a day, and even now that the work is done it hasn’t fixed it.
They said: ‘It used to happen all the time, but since they did some work on it, not so much. But still hasn’t stopped altogether.
‘The railings on the opposite side of the road have been mangled by a lorry again just the other day.’
Cllr Martin Smith, Wiltshire’s cabinet member for highways, said: ‘This is a key junction providing access to the railway station and city centre, with approximately 11,000 vehicles passing under the Fisherton Street railway bridge each day.
So much damage has been caused to the 11,000 vehicles that pass by the kerb daily that a dedicated Facebook page has been set up to inform others about the carnage it is causing
Dashcam footage caught the moment one driver had stopped after hitting the kerb
‘It is important that the infrastructure installed at this location supports pedestrian safety, especially with the recent opening of Fisherton Car Park for SWR customers, which has increased footfall in the area.’
The kerb was ‘renewed’ last year under a scheme the county council said would ‘create a more welcoming environment for pedestrians’ when they walk towards the city centre from the railway station.
But since opening in October 2024, eight compensation claims relating to the kerb have been made compared to zero in the three years previous.
Ten months after being unveiled, the 13-inch high construction became so notorious that it was listed as a tourist attraction on Google Maps.
One video of a car bumping over it has been viewed more than a million times.
However, some locals say the drivers have only themselves to blame.
Tom Curtress, 34, from Berkshire, is one of several people who have damaged their cars on the kerb.
He previously said: ‘It will be two new doors and some panel work.
Pictured: A driver attempts the tight corner where the raised kerb has caused damage to others
‘It’s not exactly a bit of varnish and some paint work.
‘Other people will do the same thing; they will have a great weekend, drop someone off at the station and then prang their car.’
After hitting the kerb in his Ford Focus in March he noticed a BMW do something similar 15 minutes later.
He added: ‘That BMW car door’s going to cost more than a Ford Focus one.
‘It was an identical issue, coming from the station. It’s not just causing a little scuff. It’s causing dents.
‘If you drive from the station, you can’t see the kerb from the driver’s side. It’s a tight turn and you don’t want to go into the oncoming traffic.
‘I took one video where around 50 percent of the cars, to avoid it, had their driver’s side on the other side of the road.’
Retired military pilot Anthony D’Arcy-Irvine, 82, caused £4,000 worth of damage after hitting his Volkswagen on the kerb in June.
The ‘killer kerb’ has divided opinion among local residents – with some blaming the drivers
When he took his car to the garage he was told he was the ‘third car that day’.
Mr D’Arcy-Irvine, from Enford, Wiltshire, said of the incident that led to the damage: ‘I was going to get crushed. If I had stayed where I was, I would have been hit by the vehicle coming the other way.
‘I have lived in Salisbury for 50 years and I have used that roundabout regularly, I think it is very badly marked.
‘When you pull out of the way of a truck coming the other way, there’s not a sign of where it is. You cannot see it.
‘Other people have rung me and said the same thing.
‘Wiltshire Council and Highways have a responsibility to make sure it is safe for drivers as well, and it isn’t.
‘They have a duty of care for road users.’
However, Facebook commenters are split over who to blame for the damage.
One commentator, Jo Earley, said ‘Can we stop blaming the kerb and start blaming the idiots behind the wheel?’.
Another user, Patrick Day, commented: ‘This group isn’t for ‘victims’. It’s for people to laugh at the ones who can’t drive and mount it.’
However, Jonathan Hodgetts wrote: ‘Installing a kerb like this is crazy, but I am amazed people get caught so often. Mind you we all make mistakes, so must not be too critical.’
One anonymous user said: ‘You should have your licence taken away from you if you can’t negotiate a corner, dumbass.’
