Potholes - Porsche Driver Killed
Discussion
We left the M25 recently after the Dacia did the old 100 miles of range to fill up trick in the space of 5 mins. The area was Waltham Cross and the road we ended up on had serious pothole issues. If it had been dark or wet we’d have lost a wheel even in a Duster. As such I can easily see how this chap with his wheels/tyres and LHD might have had an issue caused by a pothole. The roads are shocking compared to when I started driving and I’m not sure it’s just down to more/heavier vehicles Vs lack of budget. Mind you, I’ve not seen the spray the road with tar and sprinkle chips bodge fix recently that was common when I lived in a more rural area.
On our road it's like a game of whack a mole, they fill a few in (badly with cold tarmac from B&Q) and several more appear whilst the ones they have "repaired" start to break up within days, they are just pissing money away whilst being seen to be doing something, the road needs planing and new hot tarmac laying down but no, slap a bit of cold lay in there tap it with a shovel and move on.
They surfaced dressed a section of a local moorland b road last week, this week it's started to get ripped up as the surface was so bad to start with it can't even hold tar and gravel.
Zero Fuchs said:
Nomme de Plum said:
911Spanker said:
So why are you presuming the speed was excessive? I thought you knew something but obviously not. Just jumping to conclusions it would seem.
Not at all I just look at the damage. That is a significant amount of kinetic energy being dissipated. I'm confident you understand It is just physics. Speed limits are a guide not a target.
When people say excessive, it's often interpreted as exceeding the limit but this was definitely excessive for the conditions (and possibly for the age of the driver) irrespective of the speed limit.
Very sad though, for all concerned.
Some posters are overly simplistic. There are numerous threads wanting to point the finger at others. It all seems very immature.
Skeptisk said:
Getragdogleg said:
Total lack of any kind of maintenance by the council.
I report potholes frequently and normally get the copy/paste response of "our inspector found the surface to be within the standard contained in the highway manual". No further action to be taken.
I only report potholes that are deep enough and large enough.
Its absolutely scandalous.
If they do deem it's big enough to fix a man comes round with a pot of hot black porridge and put it in the hole with no prep. It's back out again a few days later.
Or we get spray paint round the hole and nothing else done to it.
I dive the 4x4 98% of the time now. It's not safe to use the nice cars.
Mmmm…it is almost like our councils have no money. Have you thought to ask why that might be the case rather than just moaning about potholes? I report potholes frequently and normally get the copy/paste response of "our inspector found the surface to be within the standard contained in the highway manual". No further action to be taken.
I only report potholes that are deep enough and large enough.
Its absolutely scandalous.
If they do deem it's big enough to fix a man comes round with a pot of hot black porridge and put it in the hole with no prep. It's back out again a few days later.
Or we get spray paint round the hole and nothing else done to it.
I dive the 4x4 98% of the time now. It's not safe to use the nice cars.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed the disappearing libraries and other services that used to be provided by councils.
Too busy acting like a business and less like a service provider.
Too busy buying dodgy solar farms for half a billion.
abzmike said:
Presumably hundreds of drivers have travelled up the road at a safe speed and not killed themselves or endangered others. Potholes are a major problem - we all know that - but driving to avoid hitting them, or hitting them too fast is part of daily life.
quite. Occam’s razor.
Recently, one of our vicinity's many worn out local roads was completely refurbished.
The four mile stretch is now billiard table smooth, with perfect road markings too.
The road is the one that runs from the A12 in Yoxford, Suffolk to a little hamlet on the coast, by the name of Sizewell.
The four mile stretch is now billiard table smooth, with perfect road markings too.
The road is the one that runs from the A12 in Yoxford, Suffolk to a little hamlet on the coast, by the name of Sizewell.
Getragdogleg said:
I've noticed alright, it's mismanagement pure and simple.
Too busy acting like a business and less like a service provider.
Too busy buying dodgy solar farms for half a billion.
That is what happens when Conservative governments demand that local authorities innovate to create income outwith their service obligations.Too busy acting like a business and less like a service provider.
Too busy buying dodgy solar farms for half a billion.
I know I lived in what was the veryTory orientated authority called Woking.
What is unfortunate is in principle the idea is not all bad.
juice said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
This is what you get when you vote conservative, who cut funding on everything like this while still raising taxes even though they say they won’t. The roads were never this bad pre 2010.
It's what you get when the councils employ the cheapest bodge jobs to come along, whacker a bit of tarmac onto it and then move on, only to come back weeks later to do the same thing.GT9 said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
This is what you get when you vote conservative, who cut funding on everything like this while still raising taxes even though they say they won’t. The roads were never this bad pre 2010.
An alternative theory is that climate change is fking the roads up like everything else outdoors.Not even going to start to suggest what's behind that though.
LimaDelta said:
Drive to the conditions? I've seen many cars swerve into oncoming traffic expecting them to move over, rather than stop or slow down when faced with potholes, cyclists, or whatever. I can't believe the driver is entirely blameless here. Not that they deserved to die of course, but actions have consequences, and sometimes luck runs out.
Chariot-spec wheels also don't help. Perhaps a bit more tyre and drivers wouldn't be so precious?
I know that stretch very well. It's a bit of a local attraction for bikers and car drivers, as is a lot of the A272 because it's simply a nice road to drive. The big 'buts' are that on a nice day when the enthusiasts are out you are more than likely to see some very poor driving/riding There are very few overtaking spots for several miles either side of the scene of the accident so it's one where people will either want to take the opportunity to pass something that has been holding them up or get past something that will, depending on the direction of travel. The scene is just past a bend/approaching the bend. Driven sensibly it's not remotely dangerous but if you cane it as the road straightens or are having to lose a lot of speed prior, then things can always get interesting and it sounds as if there were four cars all pretty close together in one spot which would be unusual for 0730 on a Sunday morning. If you've got one car going for an overtake meeting one trying to complete one...Chariot-spec wheels also don't help. Perhaps a bit more tyre and drivers wouldn't be so precious?
You make a very good point about swervers though. I also see it frequently and now expect people coming towards me to swerve onto my side rather than brake. This is particularly true when they encounter a cyclist. I've been a passenger when someone did it to avoid a bloody rabbit and another time a squirrel and potholes are just the latest excuse. Sometimes you should just plough straight on and rely on brakes but instinct takes over. Expensive wheels and a bad pothole don't and shouldn't justify swerving into traffic and especially for an experienced driver.
RIP to the deceased. A tragic loss of life and I'll be very interested to read the accident investigator's report in due course.
Edited by Unreal on Thursday 16th May 09:57
Swerving to avoid a pothole is like a mini version of the elk test. The one pictured is bad, but I'd be amazed if you can lose control of a gt2 Porsche going round it at reasonable speeds unless something else goes seriously wrong, it's one of the best handling cars out there.
It might have been the 4x4 swerved, or no one did and this is just decent clickbait
It might have been the 4x4 swerved, or no one did and this is just decent clickbait
5lab said:
Swerving to avoid a pothole is like a mini version of the elk test. The one pictured is bad, but I'd be amazed if you can lose control of a gt2 Porsche going round it at reasonable speeds unless something else goes seriously wrong, it's one of the best handling cars out there.
It might have been the 4x4 swerved, or no one did and this is just decent clickbait
Hmm,.. because it’s a GT2, the 72 yo driver in the wrong seat for UK roads must be blameless… It might have been the 4x4 swerved, or no one did and this is just decent clickbait
Skeptisk said:
Getragdogleg said:
Total lack of any kind of maintenance by the council.
I report potholes frequently and normally get the copy/paste response of "our inspector found the surface to be within the standard contained in the highway manual". No further action to be taken.
I only report potholes that are deep enough and large enough.
Its absolutely scandalous.
If they do deem it's big enough to fix a man comes round with a pot of hot black porridge and put it in the hole with no prep. It's back out again a few days later.
Or we get spray paint round the hole and nothing else done to it.
I dive the 4x4 98% of the time now. It's not safe to use the nice cars.
Mmmm…it is almost like our councils have no money. Have you thought to ask why that might be the case rather than just moaning about potholes? I report potholes frequently and normally get the copy/paste response of "our inspector found the surface to be within the standard contained in the highway manual". No further action to be taken.
I only report potholes that are deep enough and large enough.
Its absolutely scandalous.
If they do deem it's big enough to fix a man comes round with a pot of hot black porridge and put it in the hole with no prep. It's back out again a few days later.
Or we get spray paint round the hole and nothing else done to it.
I dive the 4x4 98% of the time now. It's not safe to use the nice cars.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed the disappearing libraries and other services that used to be provided by councils.
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