Bad driving is to blame for a spate of accidents around “floating” parking spaces on the A1010 Hertford Road, according to a report commissioned by the council.

The independent safety audit, published by the council in response to a freedom of information request, blames “poor driver behaviour” for accidents on a stretch of road between Tramway Avenue and Causeyware Road that have led to cars being damaged.

It comes after residents said cars had been written off during a series of collisions that they claimed were due to the poor design of the Cycle Enfield scheme.

Their concerns centred on floating parking bays set out into the road to accommodate the cycle lanes to the north of the bus stop opposite Tramway Avenue.

The safety report, carried out in July by Paul Coppin of Essex-based Avery Traffic Consultants, admits that the presence of floating parking bays would likely give rise to a risk of “glancing blows” from vehicles.

It says the cycle lanes, bus stop and floating bays have narrowed the traffic lanes in the area to around 6.3 metres – the smallest distance on Hertford Road.

But Mr Coppin states that “full-contact collisions” that have occurred “are due to approach speeds that are too high given the circumstances, site road layout and poor perception of the hazards at this location, which is driving at a standard that is below that of a careful and competent driver”.

He adds: “Without access to police reports we are unable to establish the qualification of the drivers.”

Mr Coppin says the floating parking bay is not “dangerous in its design” and claims that “a small number of drivers are not driving with regard to the new layout”.

The report also admits that buses travelling north are forced to cross into the southbound lane when leaving the bus stop when cars are parked in the floating bays – another concern identified by residents.

It adds: “This is obviously not desirable and I note that the swept path analysis shows that buses should be able to make this manoeuvre without any encroachment.

“This should be discussed further with bus operators, and drivers instructed to alter their approach to the crossing.”

Mr Coppin concludes that the scheme’s design principles are “sound” but makes a number of recommendations to improve the stretch of road.

One of these is to remove the floating parking bay on the northbound approach to the zebra crossing by Causeyware Road.

The council has said its data show there have only been five minor accidents on the stretch of road since the implementation of the Cycle Enfield scheme.

It said no-one had been injured and it had suspended a parking bay near Tramway Avenue in response to the safety review.