Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)
  • Who should I report this to…
  • RV
    Free Member

    Was out road riding the other night, just after the rain had stopped. Came across a large puddle that I went to go round, thinking it was just a puddle and Bang! I went flying with the bike crashing down behind me.
    I am a little smashed up at the moment and went back to retrieve my lost bottle to find that the water has reduced a little leaving a large hole, some 11ft long, 3ft wide and about 10 inches deep. When I hit it the water was at the top of the lip and so I tried to skim round the edge rather than blast through it.
    There is going to be a fair bit of damage to the bike but mainly I am concerned that another cyclist or car driver could suffer from the same fate as me or worse.
    I’m surprised the accident help line have not rung yet as they normally ring when they think I may have had an accident.
    Anyone had any luck getting pot holes repaired when complaints made?

    matthewlhome
    Free Member

    have a look at the CTC website. There is a ‘fill that hole’ service that sends it to local council.
    I have used this several times and after a couple of weeks the holes are mended.

    Can also attach pics i think.

    You may be eligible for a few £ for the damage to bike and you too? not sure how that would be dealt with though.

    fervouredimage
    Free Member

    Ouch. Car, bike and back breaker.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    njee20
    Free Member

    Similar one appeared near me – I skirted the puddle (luckily) and only noticed how big it was when it receded a bit. Scary.

    midlifecrisis
    Free Member

    My understanding is that you can claim from the council if they knew about the hole but had not repaired it. That is the beauty of ‘fill that hole’ – it is proof that they have been alerted to its presence.

    midlifecrisis
    Free Member

    My understanding is that you can claim from the council if they knew about the hole but had not repaired it. That is the beauty of ‘fill that hole’ – it is proof that they have been alerted to its presence.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Contact your local and county council’s. They will sh*t themselves becuase you have grounds to pursue a claim against them as you have suffered personal injury if they have logged it before – they all use computer systems to do so so they’ll be required to provide evidence.

    What you have photographic evidence of is beyond resonably for a local authority and the standards they use for legal claims and you could sue them for neglect.

    Be careful with pictures you use as those ^^^ don’t show any lights on your bike – which is illegal IIRC and they can use that against you.

    Which Council btw?

    GHill
    Full Member

    Potholes.co.uk is aimed at car drivers, but I assume most of the info is still relevant.

    RV
    Free Member

    The question is, how do you know if it’s been reported before?

    sobriety
    Free Member

    It used to be that if you were the first person to ‘find’ it and the previous inspection had been carried out correctly then you wouldn’t get owt, as the body responsible for the road had done all that was reasonable. If you were the second person and repair hadn’t been made/the hole coned off then you’d get compensated.

    This was a few years ago, so may have changed now…

    Edit: beaten to it.

    glupton1976
    Free Member

    Seeing as everyone else is skirting around the issue – how the hell did you not see a pothole that big?

    RV
    Free Member

    It’s Essex CC that I’ll need to report it to. I was using my Lupine Betty and helmet mount so that I can normally see everything.
    Going to give the bike to my mechanics to give it a once over, but I know the front wheel is a bit buckled and the Di2 level took a pounding as did the carbon railed selle italia seat.

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    Just get in touch with the council, they sorted me out when my car was dented by a flying stone from a sit down mower that was cutting the grass by the side of the road, I had to get quotes and send them in and it took ages but it got sorted. Slightly different though I admit, just felt there was some relevance to getting the bike sorted.

    handyandy
    Free Member

    not sure about claims, but the following website is great for reporting things like potholes:

    Clicky Linky

    RV
    Free Member

    On the night in question, it had rained all day and the puddle was much bigger (longer)an the water level was very close to the road level. These pics were taken two days after when it hadn’t rained and the water reduced in the puddle.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    RV – Member
    The question is, how do you know if it’s been reported before?

    You phone and ask your local/county Highways team.

    But expect a vague answer. They won’t want the potential claim, its up to you to make a claim and them to prove they’ve inspected and maintained it – if you feel you should. At the very least report it so someone makes a temp repair and someone else doesn’t fall down it.

    They have to record (with timestamp) your call as well – if you want to be certain use THE COUNCILS online fault reporting tool. Stuff like Fix My Street is all very well but not a local authority tool and can blur the lines.

    RV – its not about the water its about the size/position and depth of the hole – its beyond appropriate limits.

    glupton1976
    Free Member

    Lesson here is very similar to the one learned when you may have a tummy bug – never trust a puddle.

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    It’s Essex CC

    Whereabouts? I’m in Essex, I’d like to knwo what road to avoid!

    druidh
    Free Member

    Is that a sample of puddle water in your bottle?

    RV
    Free Member

    Gt Leighs to Boreham road. Filled the bottle with puddle water so that it sat on the bottom of puddle.

    stAn-BadBrainsMBC
    Free Member

    On the issue of reporting and getting it fixed – I’ve used the CTC method mentioned above and on each occasion the potholes have been ‘fixed’ within a fortnight.

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    Thanks RV – I’ll spread the word

    geoffj
    Full Member
    ski
    Free Member

    That’s a monster of a pothole, ouch!

    stylish
    Free Member

    The council have 28 days from the first report to repair it, if they have not done it you can claim, otherwise it’s the small claims court, I had a similar incident last year in Norfolk, which ended up with me having to replace all the bits that broke..
    Luckily my insurance covered the broken wheel, frame and fork…..

    Merak
    Full Member

    The unshaven limbs, for shame!

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    Doesn’t seem to work on my work PC, but you can see if it’s already been reported here

    http://www.essexhighways.org/View-it-track-it-report-it/View-reported-problems.aspx

    Muke
    Free Member

    Not used it myself but have looked up local issues and noticed things do seem to get fixed quite quickly.

    http://www.fixmystreet.com/

    handyandy
    Free Member

    just for the record, fixmystreet is a reporting tool to get things fixed, no use for a claim of course.

    I work for a local authority, and it works just as well as reporting it direct to us, though I cant say that for all authorities.

    ormondroyd
    Free Member

    The ones that just look like puddles are always bastards. This one did for two inner tubes the other day, and the shock even threw the cover off my rear cateye light. Very sharp front edge on it.

    ormondroyd
    Free Member

    By the way, thanks for the CTC tip, especially the iPhone app. Didn’t know they’d done that. Hampshire County Council in particular should keep me busy with it. Their roads are ridiculously awful.

    project
    Free Member

    Firstly glad youre not seriously injured,or worse.

    Secondly, their is a n Audi involved, possibly 🙂

    Thirdly, try http://www.Bikeline.co.uk, or any cyclists claims solicitors in the cycling press.

    Fianlly ask for a freedom of information request as to when the road was last inspected, that will helpin your claim.

    You also seem to have a light sabre sticking out of the front of your jacket.

Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)

The topic ‘Who should I report this to…’ is closed to new replies.