Danger - Navidale bends

[r.rackstraw]

Having heard about cars skidding off the road at Navidale, when driving south today I went extra slow round the bends. And sure enough there was yet another car off the road.
Surely there must be a problem with the road surface - this is on the short stretch of old red surface each side of the snow gates.
Watch how you go!

[taylor.4]

There have been numerious accidents on that part of the road, and numerious complaints made that something has to be done before there is a serious accident there, i was coming up the road on wednesday and there was a car in the ditch.

[sjr014]

that strech of road has always had a sliddy surface read the signs and slow down!!

[sam]

Having heard about cars skidding off the road at Navidale, when driving south today I went extra slow round the bends. And sure enough there was yet another car off the road.
Surely there must be a problem with the road surface - this is on the short stretch of old red surface each side of the snow gates.
Watch how you go!


if you mean the red golf sitting on top of the wall, i would say that was more down to speed than road conditions, i went down the road at 7 this morning and there was plenty of grip on the road then

[ice box]

What i cant understand is why is it just lately there all the car going off the road and for year there was nothing ?????

[Saxo01]

I know when i used to pass through regularly on a big bike i used to keep away from the verges as there was always spillage from the fish lorries that was lethal, The fishing is gone now so i dont know as you said treat carefully

[melted_wellie]

I know when i used to pass through regularly on a big bike i used to keep away from the verges as there was always spillage from the fish lorries that was lethal, The fishing is gone now so i dont know as you said treat carefully
dont you use your Penny Farthing any more then????

[melted_wellie]

Nah it was bike capable of reaching 160mph easily
was it a busa??? my mates got one, im too scared to have try.

[las123]

yeah when went off on friday morning it was a white fiesta and came back up tonight there was a red golf.

[mums angels]

Can someone explain to me exactlly where this bit of road is..I have to go and pick my hubby up from inverness next week and since been in a car accident on causewaymire last year i'm really nervous about driving to inverness. so i just want to watch out for it incase there is a problem with the road

[The Big Fish]

It is the area known as Navidale or sometimes referred to as The Ord of Caithness, basically as you head south its the series of very sharp bends on a stretch of road that is tarred a reddish colour just before the snow gates about 1 mile north of Helmsdale.

The road surface is polished and very slippery , it is also subject to diesel and fish bree spillages which occurs on the bends from lorries that have full fuel tanks or fishy water in the back which spills out onto the bend. Ive always been aware of the problem and take extra care but have still managed to loose traction and narrowly miss going off. You have to take care as I doubt they will repair it as the new stretch of road that is due to be built shortly will bypass the current problem.

[2little2late]

You have to take care as I doubt they will repair it as the new stretch of road that is due to be built shortly will bypass the current problem.

Surely a coating of shell grip would solve the problem?

[JAWS]

Don't be silly, it's easier to blame drivers for all becoming "suicidal" at the same location.

That way you do not have to spend money making the road safe at that point!

[bobsgirl]

We went down to Inverness yesterday, saw the little red car but noticed no problem on the road. Hubby was driving and he never mentioned anything wrong. It is a winding road so you have to slow down anyway. Everyone should be taken care round that bends anyway.

[Alice in Blunderland]

I went to Golspie last Thursday and there was a car off the road at these bends.I managed to pass going south and back up without joining this car but I have to admit the cars following behind me must have been cursing me as I was going very slow. :D Sorry to anyone following a Galaxy that was crawling through these bends but I wanted to come home safely to my kids.I am no expert but if the speed is kept down surely this will help :confused .

[George Brims]

Back in the 1970s when they were building the "new" A9 between Perth and Inverness, it was often the case that the soon-to-be-abandoned segments alongside the new sections were in a bad way, from a combination of neglect and extra heavy traffic (some of it lorries transporting asphalt). When my wife and I drove south on our honeymoon there was a terrible accident a little before Aviemore, forcing a diversion onto an as yet unopened section of the new road. I remember some of the construction workers pulling aside cones and barriers to let the cars use it. At the inquest (several people died) a policeman testified the road surface was so slippery after a slight sprinkle of rain that he actually fell over when he got out of his car to render assistance.

That wasn't the only place I've seen roads get in a bad way when about to be replaced - and of course nothing is done about it. This is something that needs to be built into the plans when they reconstruct roads.

[Naefearjustbeer]

The problem with the road slippery signs is that they are up all the time so folk who travel up and down the road regulary tend not to notice them the same. Also they are the little signs in the verge similar to what would be put up for short term problems such as mud on the road etc. After driving past a few times on dry days then you become complacent and the first time you drive down after a fish lorry has spewed its water all over the road all of a sudden your tyres lose grip, because the camber of the road is nasty you dont have much time to make a correction before you spin off of the road. To my mind the signs are inadequate. If the slippy surface is a ongoing situation then there should be a posted speed reducton on those corners. It is all very well saying ah but you should of slowed down. What happens when a car coming the other way plows into you when you are creeping round the corner. Who ever is in charge of that section of road should get a kick in the bum and get something done about it before someone is hurt or worse.

[jean]

the road surface at the cambusavie bends (past the mound on way south) was very skiddy and it was because the red granite chips had polished over years of wear and made it slippy in all conditions. most of this surface has being removed. these bends are still bad tho,

[SNOWDOG]

A white van and a red car have gone off at the exact same spot in the past week. Both vehicles suffered frontal and passenger side damage. A spokesman said "People are ignoring the signs and driving too fast". Would that be the wee warning signs that are about 15 feet in front of the offending road surface? :confused

[moshmosh]

I drove down the line on Sunday and felt the car slip slightly at one turn at Navidale, nothing major. I had more trouble slowing down at the roadworks just outside of Brora. A 100-200 yard warning sign of traffic lights around a bend is not sufficient. I've noticed the same problem a few weeks back at the Embo junction just south of The Mound.

[Fran]

I went down the road yesterday and workmen were repairing the bollards on the corner where the red stones are. Came back today in heavy rain but must admit I have never had a problem here, and I always drive slowly and make sure I never brake on those bits of road.