Dibbles Bridge Coach Crash

Dibble Bridge Coach Crash

Dibble's Bridge where the accident occurred
Details
Date and time:	27 May 1975
Location:	Near Hebden, North Yorkshire
Bus info:	Bedford Duple
Statistics
Vehicles:	1
Deaths:	32
Injuries:	13

The Dibbles Bridge Coach Crash was a fatal traffic collision that occurred on 27 May 1975 on the B6265 road, Dibble's Bridge, below the Grimwith Reservoir 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east of Hebden, in the civil parish of Appletreewick^[1] in Craven, North Yorkshire, England. Thirty-one elderly passengers and the driver were killed, and thirteen others injured. It is the worst-ever road accident in the United Kingdom, by number of people killed.^[2]

Accident

The accident occurred when a coach carrying pensioners from Thornaby-on-Tees was heading for tea in Grassington. Whilst travelling between Greenhow and Hebden stand-in coach driver Roger Marriott, a British Steel security officer, missed a gear on the moorland road. The brakes then failed as it travelled down a 6:1 gradient from Fancarl Top to the bottom of the valley downstream of Grimwith reservoir. After crashing through a steel crash barrier and a 3-foot (0.91 m) high stone parapet above the River Dibb it landed on its fibreglass roof in a garden 17 feet (5.2 m) below. The aluminium sides of the coach then buckled on impact with the ground. ^{[3] [4][5]}

A plaque marks the spot where the accident occurred.

Inquest

An inquest at Skipton Town Hall, in July 1975, recorded a verdict of accidental death on the victims. Jury foreman John Mitchell said the accident was caused by the inability of the driver to negotiate the bend, owing to deficient brakes on the coach, due to possible lack of care in the maintenance of the braking system.

References

1. ^ Vision of Britain - Boundary map of Appletreewick Civil Parish
2. ^ M5 crash: Britain's worst road accidents
3. ^ "Transport fatal accidents and FN-curves:1967-2001". Health and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr073.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-20. 
4. ^ The day tragedy came to the Dales
5. ^ Dibbles Bridge: 25 years on