Reports on Fill That Hole double during 'Pothole Watch'
Every pothole report is hugely important: we know that many highway authorities aren't able to inspect their minor roads network - where most cycling takes place - with sufficient frequency to ensure they don't reach a dangerous state of disrepair.
But, reporting a pothole jump-starts the process and puts an onus on the highway authority to inspect and, if necessary, fix the hole.
Thanks to all who've taken part, that's 544 potentially dangerous potholes brought to highway authorities' attention, and thousands of cyclists potentially saved from injury - or worse.
It's been a fantastic response so far, so keep up the amazing work and report potholes!
We can see the impact the reports are having on the ground, with a number of potholes already logged as filled by quick-off-the-mark local authorities.
Of course, however much we wish it were otherwise, we all know that not every report sees such a rapid and positive response, especially as councils throughout the UK struggle with years of budget cuts. But, don't be downhearted: taking two minutes to report a pothole still plays a hugely important role in supporting cyclists who have been unfortunate enough to suffer an pothole related injury.
£25 billion has been ring-fenced for the building and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads. We're calling for some of this to be used to repair the local roads we all use every day, which would take just £9.3 billion to fix nationwide.
Keir Gallagher, Campaigns Officer
Currently, highway authorities have a strong defence to a pothole compensation claim if they can successfully argue that they had taken reasonable care to ensure that the highway is not dangerous. In considering this, a court will look to see whether the authority could reasonably have been expected to know about the pothole in question. If they can argue that the didn't know about the defect, a cyclist may struggle to win a claim for compensation, but a report on FillThatHole is a surefire way to show that the authority was fully aware of the hazard.
Of course, Pothole Watch Week hasn't just been about helping you report potholes to your local authority; we've also been putting the pressure onto the Government to adopt a much needed 'fix it first' policy for roads investment, to ensure local authorities actually have the funds needed to fix the potholes you report.
In England, £25 billion has been ring-fenced for the building and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads. We're calling for some of this to be used to repair the local roads we all use every day, which would take just £9.3 billion to fix nationwide, and for the devolved authorities to put similar investment into their own networks.
Meanwhile, a Cycling UK investigation, reported in the national press last weekend, found that pothole compensation claims for cyclists are, on average, valued at 25 times those of drivers. These figures confirm that potholes are more than just the inconvenience they are sometimes made out to be, but for cyclists, they can cause injury and even death. We’ve also been keeping you informed about what to do if you hit a pothole should you find yourself in that unfortunate situation.
With a little over 24 hours left of 'Pothole Watch', you know what to do:
