A parish council in Essex wants potholes to be left unfilled so that they act as a traffic calming measure to slow down passing motorists. The parish councillors in the Navesotck area have created controversy by refusing to notify Essex County Council of any potholes in the area that need repairing. However the move has been criticised by both road safety campaigners and the County Council, which has said that it is committed to filling all potholes in the area as soon as possible.
Traffic calming measures are designed to reduce the speed of traffic passing through an area. Fast moving traffic poses a risk to both pedestrians, other road users and creates noise pollution in quiet areas such as rural Essex. Whilst some road safety organisations such as the road safety charity Brake have described the approach taken in Navestock as a “wholly original idea”, they have also cautioned that “there are no short cuts with road safety.”
As I mentioned in Tuesday’s blog, potholes can have serious implications for the safety of all road users, not just to motorists but also as a tripping hazard for pedestrians. The parish council is exposing people to an increased risk of suffering a personal injury either as a result of a road traffic accident or by tripping over in a pothole. By seeking not to repair the potholes, the parish council may be leaving themselves open to many more accident claims made by people injured in some way by the potholes.
Injured in an accident caused by a poorly maintained road or pavement? You might be able to claim compensation for your injuries. Contact Camps Solicitors to speak to one of our expert personal injury lawyers for a free initial assessment of the prospects of your accident claim.
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