what the hell is going on with our roads.

There was a much needed road repair done last summer and 6 months later the top layer of tarmac is chunking off and the road is in a worse state than it originally was. Bodges and rushed jobs are making the roads worse.
 
Roads are in a terrible state but the A47 into Peterbrorough has been down to 1 lane for almost a year for some mad vanity project footbridge replacement that must have cost millions.

Edit - 5 million quid! For a sodding footbridge.
 
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jpaul said:
yes just the stupid unobservant drivers who drive through them with their incompatible low profile tyres - still, their revised premiums should give them food for thought and hopefully reduce burden for others.
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sorry but this is nonsense. I have a nissan QQ with big fat tyres so (hopefully) I will be ok but our roads are meant to be fit for purpose and so long as a car is within legal limits it should be able to be driven without fear of the road being such poor quality as to wreck it.

would you feel the same if an elderly person broke their leg on a not fit for purpose pavement and god help a motorcyclist if they hit one of the pot holes.
 
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Maybe this is why SUVs are so popular now, bigger tyres and better ground clearance so you don't have to worry as much about the state of the roads

Maybe the roads are that bad and little is going to be done about them that it's time to stop buying cars with massive wheels and rubber band tyres
 
Janesy B said:
Because you can just slam on the brakes safely right?
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on local roads you know where to slow down anyway ... we have fenland roads built on 'bogs' it seems, which continually subside after resurfacing (A10 east of littleport/cambs case in point)
so maybe it's a skill we develop, you can often see the suspension hits on the car in front as an indication too.

people drive across local railway tracks at 50mph, which is madness, unless you are handing back your pcp after 3 years so don't care.
 
A pot hole appeared on our street. I reported it online and it was fixed in a week. I guess different councils are more on it than others.

The roads always go bad as soon as ice is around. Not particularly economical to work on them until it warms up a bit.
 
If you draw penises around them they get fixed quickly apparently :D

Relentless81 said:
Maybe this is why SUVs are so popular now, bigger tyres and better ground clearance so you don't have to worry as much about the state of the roads

Maybe the roads are that bad and little is going to be done about them that it's time to stop buying cars with massive wheels and rubber band tyres
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Bigger wheels do make it worse (unless they are really huge and cover the hole) as it's more unsprung weight. Small wheels with large side walls for dealing with potholes.
 
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Janesy B said:
It's horrendous, having to weave around like a drunk driver to avoid writing off my car.

This is the road for the main car park in my local town.

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That's like a snooker table compared to the ones where I live, Rutland area, with a lot of farming around there the roads have collapsed in parts, parts have cracks in them a cycle tyre would go in, MTB width . Guess the tractors and combine harvesters made them worse when we had the hot spell

Sisters boyfriends dad totally knackered his wheels, front suspension and the front bumper going in one collapsed part or road. It was that bad the underside along bottom was all dented along one side.

Next door neighbour did the same on another stretch, left side suspension all busted.
Will see if I can get a picture of one of the holes/collapsed parts but I did see signs up the other day saying road closed so maybe they are finally fixing it.
Only been like it since July.
Just to add, these are main roads, not some back lane, you actually do need a tractor to navigate some of these.
 
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Big craters in NSL dual carriageways and motorways seems to be more of a thing than it ever was. I was admiring the amount of hardcore at the side of road while stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway from the adjacent pothole just the other day. No wonder the front of my car looks like it's been used for air rifle target practice.

Also country roads that have completely collapsed at the side. How I got away without a knackered rim or puncture on unfamiliar roads in the dark a couple of times I'll never know. I didn't spec my company car from new and of all the options I wouldn't have bothered with the upgraded alloys (1" bigger, lower profile tyres) are by far the worst thing on the car.
 
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lordrobs said:
I didn't spec my company car from new and of all the options I wouldn't have bothered with the upgraded alloys (1" bigger, lower profile tyres) are by far the worst thing on the car.
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yes this has got to be filtering through into car insurance rates (if you've made a pothole claim obviously so), but they'll soon ask - declare your wheel sizes on the proposal.
 
Chris Wilson said:
Councils claim to be strapped for cash due to, at least around here, "housing pressures". I'll let the reader guess the cause of those...

I still get customers wanting low profile tyres on larger diameter rims though, and cautiously tell them what they really need are taller profile tyres on the smallest diameter rims that will clear their brakes and suspension links. But "stance and style" usually win out and then the tears of woe flow when an expensive 19 or 20 inch tyre and rim or two are scrapped due to potholes and their none compliant sidewalls.

Oh and the travelling community have stolen dozens of grid covers hereabouts, leaving death traps for cyclists, motorcyclists and those infirm or of poor eyesight.
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This. It wont be helping. Every few years the wheels get bigger and more low profile. Used to be I got given an option of 18" or 19" wheels then 20 or 21" and now with the new model its 23" wheels. People like the "look" but its terrible for potholes or objects in the road. Ive killed two alloys in the last few years.
 
Janesy B said:
It's horrendous, having to weave around like a drunk driver to avoid writing off my car.

This is the road for the main car park in my local town.

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Have you reported it?

Tell us - Essex County Council

You can tell us about maintenance issues on the highway or public rights of way network (PRoW) online by using our highways reporting tool.
www.essexhighways.org www.essexhighways.org
 
The roads in my area have gradually got worse over the years. It really is abysmal now. Part of the cause seems to be water money. For example a huge hole had to be repaired three times because of poor workmanship. Another pot hole n ended two repairs.

The council also added a huge island jutting out into the road by a bus a stop. It was completely unnecessary. Hardly anyone uses that stop and all it does is prevent two way traffic when a large vehicle comes the other way. It was a waste of money and inconveniences people. Another favourite waste of money is lowering speed limits everywhere near me. 60mph roads down a forest area reduced to 30mph for no reason. It all costs money to replace the speed limit signs, while the council then can't afford to fix horrendous pot holes everywhere.
 
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