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Calls are growing for improved crash barriers on the B4251 in Caerphilly County Borough, after a teenage driver’s car left the road and plunged into the River Sirhowy.

She suffered serious injuries, and was rescued from the river by her father and a police officer in the early hours of Sunday December 7.

The incident has prompted three councillors to renew calls for further road safety measures along the stretch of road known as the Wyllie Bends, between Pontllanfraith and Ynysddu.

Caerphilly County Borough Council has said it will review previous assessments of the road, but must wait for a police investigation of the December incident to conclude before taking any action.

Caerphilly County Borough Council agreed in 2023 to improve road markings, speed signs and marker posts along the road, following the death of young nurse Laurie Jones in a similar crash on the Bends four years earlier.

But the local authority stopped short of backing her family’s calls for a roadside safety barrier.

This left them feeling “ignored” and “overlooked”, Ms Jones’ grandfather said at the time.

Now, Ynysddu ward councillors Jan Jones and Janine Reed – along with Cllr Kevin Etheridge, who grew up in the area – have warned the council “must act now” to prevent further serious incidents.

“Is it so difficult for metal crash barriers to be installed along this notorious stretch of road?” they said.

“We will continually and vigorously campaign for the installation of these safety barriers, and call on all councillors and our Senedd Members to make safety along the Wyllie Bends a priority.”

The incident in December has renewed questions whether the existing chain-link fence installed at the roadside in 2022 offers adequate protection.

At a protest march that October, Ms Jones’ grandfather was seen holding a sign that labelled the barrier a “weak fence from a weak council”.

But an independent safety review of the Bends the following year concluded it had “not identified any major road safety issues” on the road.

At a cabinet meeting to discuss the review’s findings in 2023, members heard a barrier hadn’t been recommended because it “could act as an additional hazard” by causing vehicles that struck it to “rebound” back into traffic.

That meeting also heard there had been two fatal crashes and 15 involving injuries on the Bends in the previous decade.

Caerphilly County Borough Council did not respond to a request for comment on the latest safety calls.

The authority’s housing and environment committee is due to hear the three councillors’ proposed notice of motion at a meeting in February.

Meanwhile, an online petition calling for a “full” roadside barrier along the Bends to be installed “urgently” had gathered nearly 400 signatures at the time of publication.

A Caerphilly Council spokesperson said road safety is a “key priority… and we acknowledge the strength of feeling expressed in relation to this location”.

“The section of road has been subject to detailed assessments, along with an independent external review,” they added. “In light of the recent incident, officers will revisit the previous surveys, inspections and assessments to ensure that all relevant information is fully considered and that any conclusions are based on a comprehensive and factual understanding of the circumstances.”

The council spokesperson urged patience, explaining that “a police investigation is currently ongoing and any findings or recommendations arising from that investigation need to be taken into account when determining future actions”.

“Once the investigation has been completed, officers will consider the most appropriate course of action and will report back to local members to discuss the proposed next steps,” they added.