State of the nation's roads

[davidsl500]

So the Government lockdown fiasco's and the local authority 15 minute LTN's are really designed to keep us in our homes so we don't claim for pothole damage......

 

[Blobcat]

So the Government lockdown fiasco's and the local authority 15 minute LTN's are really designed to keep us in our homes so we don't claim for pothole damage......

Is Botus running your account now David…

 

[davidsl500]

Is Botus running your account now David…

We desperately need a tongue in cheek icon...

 

[mercmancdi]

Our rds are now tracks with loose tarmac scattered all over as whoever is patching them is no good at it , not cutting out enough rolling in with wheel of lorry instead of a vibrating roller. Disgrace, lasts about 3 wks , hope someone is marking these repairs down and not passing them to get payment.

 

[DSK]

It’s no doubt sweet back handers, ah let’s contracts to someone I know etc..

Most of the repairs I’ve seen in Nottingham are to tip a bag of black stuff into the craters, tap it down with a hammer like tool or whacker plate at best and drive off. The repairs are not smooth or proper in any way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ajlsl600]

Are we becoming 3rd world?

Roads shot,
NHS shot,
Railways shot,
Power supply struggling,
Police force struggling with criminals within their ranks,
Incompetent government,
Porous borders.................

We are becoming third world. Thing is we are paying 1st costs tho?????????

 

[ajlsl600]

I’m sure many experiences differ. We are supposed to be a leading first world country.

HO f ho. That's some illusion that, travel more check that out the litter on road sides in West Sussex reminds me of lagos!!!!!!

 

[s5tuart]

HO f ho. That's some illusion that, travel more check that out the litter on road sides in West Sussex reminds me of lagos!!!!!!

I hate litter, but, remember who put it there in the first place...

 

[ajlsl600]

I hate litter, but, remember who put it there in the first place...

So it's to be like states 500 usd for droppin litter and you DON'T get out of the nic until its paid, bail bond or card.

 

[rorywquin]

Our rds are now tracks with loose tarmac scattered all over as whoever is patching them is no good at it , not cutting out enough rolling in with wheel of lorry instead of a vibrating roller. Disgrace, lasts about 3 wks , hope someone is marking these repairs down and not passing them to get payment.

That is the issue - all sub-contracted out to mates and no proper inspections of the work (because the inspectors are probably getting backhanders or are too lazy to do their job properly).

 

[00slk]

Coming back from Northampton yesterday after a nice (booked in the diary) day out in the SLK with my Wife we got onto the subject of how poor the roads are. Basically we have come to the conclusion that it is far too late now for the UK roads to be repaired properly. It would cost hundreds of billions, maybe even Trillions of pounds for our roading network to become half the quality of New Zealand roads. I have heard so much about, 'It is the lorries on the roads that cause the state of damage' etc blar blar blar........Which got us onto a further point in our conversation. New Zealand has up to 64 ton lorries on the roads hauling logs, not sticks like in the uK but massive logs cut down in the forests and carted to the mills and docks for export. Is this because NZ is made of volcanic rock, whereby our roads are built on hard to start off with ground? Not really, look at all the rain and bad weather New Zealand has had over the last 2-3 months where a lot of the roads in certain flood damaged areas have been swept away or slipped down steep banks or just collapsed under the weight of the tarmac because the dirt underneath the roads have been washed away. No hard volcanic rock or hard foundations there! So what is the clue here, why are the roads in NZ much better built, smoother and without 300 potholes within 1/4 mile of roading? A lot of the money, I would say goes to repairing the roads and keeping up with the repairs. (That's what our road users charges and registrations are used for, well most of it and a well planned government with common sense to match) But here in the UK, where does the money go that is collected for the roads ie (repairs, maintenance paint etc) Think of budgets, think of crime, think of nice people sailing over in their small crafts, think of payouts to unskilled drivers , think of official's in their multi-million pound homes and cars and their retirement funds and lots of things that take priority over the roads that are all due to the use of vehicle's damaging the surfaces.
Then my wife's and my thought came to the safety aspect of driving on British cart tracks and seeing the Mercedes in front of us not following a straight line and quickly realised he was avoiding holes in the road, needles to say I followed suit. Coming off the A45 and travelling up the A6 towards Bedford we noticed a huge hole directly in line with the near side front wheel, which we both saw at the same time. luckily I was able to avoid going into it, so from then on with the daylight starting to fade, I was keeping my eye on the road surface rather than on the vehicles in front and twice on my journey home had 2 rather abrupt braking sessions. Well guess what, another chat, but not on how rough these cart tracks are but how dangerous our roads have become if you have to watch out for craters in the road rather than keeping your eye on the other vehicles on the road, it is making the driving of all vehicles unsafe to be out there.
Not to mention the damaged to the cars suspension and tyres.
I haven't driven my 55 on the roads now for possibly over a year and I don't think I will take it out again, especially with its 19" rims which have taking a battering over the years. I will have to keep the Money Pit on 16's which all my family say are ugly wheels The SLK is on 17's so we have been lucky so far with her.

My old Triumph 2.5 on 14" is brilliant. I can driven into potholes and craters as though they don't exist Why is this?? I think it is because my 1970's car has suspension travel, something the manufactures have left off newer cars because in my day, we had to learn how to drive cars that didn't corner, didn't drive in a straight line, had no air bags, no ABS, no lane drift, no radar, no seat belts (on some) 80 profile tyres, no crash zones, so if you crashed your car showing off to your mates, you died!!
If people of the cars of today could drive, then we would still have suspension travel and 80 profile's and pot holes would not even be a talking point of poor conditioned roads, we would all be fitting even higher suspension........Maybe

 

[rorywquin]

I put my car onto CarWow yesterday and was idly looking at EVs. Out of interest selected a Hyundai, looked at the spec (baseline EV)....yep you got it 19” wheels with an option to go bigger.

 

[2750HP]

When I started this thread on the 31/01/23 I knew the roads were bad with potholes proliferating. It seems to me the situation has become worse in the intervening two months with them now on major dual carraigeways, at roundabouts etc. In some places it is almost impossible to steer around them or if you do then this becomes a safety issue.

As a kid I used to watch and love the smell of the Limmer & Trinidad surfacing machines. I started to drive in 1972 - less vehicles around and generally smaller and with sensible wheel sizes / tyre profiles. Then again particularly harsh winters in 1979, 1982, 2010, 2011 and yet roads seemed much better. Perhaps a combination of heavier and larger traffic, more of it and greater wheel diameters. I don't have the same issues with my other cars. The Merc is a lovely car but starting to think perhaps not the most sensible purchase with wheels vulnerable to potholes and its inability to proceed in small amounts of snow on some gradients. Hey ho!

 

[mercmancdi]

Some motorists struggle in the snow no matter what they drive and then block everyone else.
I was coming out of a shopping centre up a slight hill few wks ago leading on to a roundabout when girl in front was stuck engine roaring like mad wheels spinning
I had to stop behind her get out tell her to stop reving and just gently take off I would give her a push she did this and drove off I then got into my E350 and proceeded to take off no problem, ( no winter tyres ) but I had a 320 estate with winter tyres and it’s unbelievable the difference them tyres made so since that I no longer fear the snow or ice in mb if worse comes to it I would buy winter tyres again. ( actually the ones I had bought at that time were £40 each preused.
However the government is going to have to get there finger out and start repairing rds properly no more temporary fixes.

 

[2750HP]

Road conditions getting worse - easily the poorest state since i started driving in 1972. Lots of cars driving a round potholes which often necessitates move over centre line and sometimes with traffic coming other way. Also are people giving full concentratioin to driving or looking out for potholes as well?

Classic example is Church Street, Stoke where numerous holes exist and yet just a 1/4 mile from the Council's Civic Centre.

 

[ajlsl600]

Saving money, as claims are feasibly cheaper than repairs.
Part of the 'don't drive' persuasion.
Greater wear and tear as road use is greater, feasibly by HGV's also.
Closing roads for repairs are difficult for the greater use reason.
The more we spend on car repairs the greater the tax revenue.

The government will only give a t*ss if they are likely to lose votes, that being local and national.

I wonder can we not get together and sue the state.
I CANNOT use the road without PAYING the state currently £365(not councils) therefore I shud be holding the state accountable. Not the council, if the state then want their money back they can take up vthe matter with the council. Not me. I don't decide how much they get to fix the roads state does
I went to Farringdon last week. Plenty 4 inch deep holes, damage inevitable, as is poss accident trying to avoid them and missing traffic event.

 

[rorywquin]

We desperately need a tongue in cheek icon...

Would save a lot of argument and derision.

 

[rorywquin]

Road conditions getting worse - easily the poorest state since i started driving in 1972. Lots of cars driving a round potholes which often necessitates move over centre line and sometimes with traffic coming other way. Also are people giving full concentratioin to driving or looking out for potholes as well?

Classic example is Church Street, Stoke where numerous holes exist and yet just a 1/4 mile from the Council's Civic Centre.

Seems to be a problem for a lot of drivers that don’t understand that they do not have the right of way when moving into the oncoming lane. I see it all the time with people going round potholes, cyclists and parked holes and they swing into the oncoming lane regardless of traffic.

 

[ajlsl600]

As said inevitable accidents. Again think maybe class action, sue state let them call the tax wot they like. It IS, what I have to PAY the STATE, BEFORE I am permitted to use the road.

 

[Alastairp]

As said inevitable accidents. Again think maybe class action, sue state let them call the tax wot they like. It IS, what I have to PAY the STATE, BEFORE I am permitted to use the road.

Good luck with that.
You will probably get legal aid to do it. (tongue in cheek icon)
I hope you are young enough to see it through.