Well roads certainly seem to be a hot topic for us at The Injury Lawyers at the moment; or at least when it comes to the topics of my articles of late. Pot holes are plenty, and in the midst of a major economical crisis we may set to be raged at our roads for the coming months! And according to sources from Sky News, we motorists are angry at the conditions of Britain’s roads at the moment, and its having one heck of a knock on effect… (Sky News Source).
In the midst of the upcoming election, motorists have reportedly set the stage for politicians to take the condition of our roads more seriously; and it could affect the way we place our votes! Up to 77% or motorists are “particularly angered” at the current damage on UK roads, namely potholes littering our highways! This has apparently completely overshadowed other transport concerns such as petrol prices, and is therefore leading politicians to look closer at what the voters are looking for when it comes to improving our transit systems!
The sources have indicated that a staggering 70% of those polled wanted road repair costs to be protected from cuts, and more than half indicated that they were fairly dissatisfied to very dissatisfied with road maintenance. This of course doesn’t bode well for us road users, and doesn’t bode well for the councils and highways agencies either; at the end of the day, they’re the people with the responsibility to ensure that our highways are safe to use and free from hazard!
In fact, according to the report, 1.4 million holes have been filled by the authorities across England and Wales in the past year, and it would take up to 10 billion and 11 years to bring our highways to an adequate standard – and these figures do not include anything getting worse in the time being.
So what’s the implication for us using the roads in such a condition? Well potholes, as I have covered in my recent blogs, can be very dangerous to motorists; and even fatal. Perhaps car drivers can escape serious incidents arising from potholes, but cyclists and motorbikes hitting an unseen pothole at speed could end in absolute disaster!
The local authorities have an important duty of care to regularly inspect the highways, and maintain and repair them appropriately. Failing to comply with this duty could leave them liable for any accidents and subsequent injuries from potholes and defects on the roads; and the victim could be entitled to claim for compensation for their suffering.
For further advice on accessing compensation from pothole related incidents, contact an expert independent personal injury specialist such as ourselves for the best advice on claiming, and the highest quality representation should you require it!
