‘Force HGVs to use the Baldock bypass to protect other road users’

Nicky Bull was cycling on the A507 in Baldock when she was hit by an articulated lorry which was turning left, and swung out into the right hand lane where Nicky was passing.

A highly experienced cyclist who has taken part in competitive cycling around the world, Nicky had made the same journey almost daily for 20 years, and had all too often seen the dangers of the A507’s junction with Bygrave Road – known locally as the White Horse Crossroads and regarded as a particularly hazardous site.

Having cheated death in the collision, in April 2022, former primary school teacher Nicky was left with a catalogue of serious injuries – and devastatingly had to undergo an amputation of her right leg below the hip.

Nicky’s collision happened at the same site as where runner Peter Day was killed in 2018 after being hit by an HGV.

Now, Nicky is committed to saving others from such trauma by calling for HGVs to be banned from using the A507 through Baldock. They would instead be diverted to the town bypass. Her campaign is supported by Chris Hinchliff, the MP for North East Hertfordshire.

While part of the A507 has already implemented such measures, Nicky wants that to be extended along the whole road, to include the location where she was hit. The Local Plan has identified the need for road improvements by 2030, but Nicky wants action more urgently.

“This is an awful junction and there are always collisions there. It is not suitable for HGVs at all – it is a very tight area with a 15th century house on one side and a 17th century building on the other, designed back in the days of the horse and carriage, so it’s clearly really unsuitable for huge lorries,” said Nicky, who spent nine months in hospital and has undergone extensive rehabilitation since the collision.

“That is what the bypass is for, but so many HGV drivers don’t use it. There is very little difference in terms of time, but perhaps it is slightly shorter in distance, which is why drivers continue to use it. The driver who hit me said he used this route frequently, which is unbelievable really, that HGV drivers who know how very tight and difficult this junction is continue to travel this way.

“The only option is to force HGVs to use the bypass by extending the restrictions right along the A507. If any good can come out of what has happened to me, it would be to stop something similar – or worse – happening to someone else.

“While I understand there will be a cost to this, my NHS rehabilitation has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to date – and as well as the cost, we are talking about people’s lives and wellbeing, which you just can’t put a price on. This is urgent and must be a priority for now.”

Chris Hinchliff MP said: "The White Horse Crossroads has become a symbol of preventable tragedy. Nicky’s devastating injuries and the tragic death of Peter Day in 2018 are not isolated incidents—they are stark reminders of how dangerous this junction has become.

"I fully support Nicky’s campaign to ban lorries from travelling through the junction. It's time we put lives before the convenience of freight companies and take bold, decisive action to make this area safe for everyone who uses it."

Nicky has been supported in rebuilding her life after her traumatic collision by law firm Slater and Gordon, with principal lawyer Richard Gaffney also endorsing her campaign.

“Nicky is an inspiration indeed and has shown such extraordinary courage and determination in rebuilding her life after this hugely traumatic incident,” says Richard, himself a keen cyclist.

“For her to have to regularly pass the point where she was hit by this HGV, and to see that no safety measures have been introduced and nothing has changed in terms of protecting both cyclists and other road users, is both frustrating and devastating. Nicky almost lost her life that day—and it is only through her incredible resilience that she lives the life she does.

“We absolutely support her calls for action to be taken in re-routing lorries around the bypass, to protect others from the trauma of life-changing injury.”