Mud on Road - Who To Contact?
Mud on Road - Who To Contact?
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Discussion

markmullen

Original Poster:

15,877 posts

264 months

Sunday 13th November 2005
quotequote all
A spot of advice if I could please ladies and gents.

My 55 mile each way commute is mostly on B roads which can be great fun

This evening on the way home from work I was taking it relatively easy as temperatures were down to 1 degree and there was a thin film of water in the roads making it a bit slippy.

There is a farm on the approach to one of the villages I pass through (Langtoft if anyone knows the Scarborough to Driffield road) and where farm vehicles have come out the road is now absolutely caked in wet mud. I was under 40mph but was finding it very slippery. I couldn't actually see the road surface there was so much mud. To make things worse it is a demanding bit of road, some tight bends, crests and dips.

I am concerned that a biker, or anyone pushing on, could come to grief. So who do I ring to voice my concerns? I haven't time on the way to work to stop at the farm and have a word with them. Is it Highways Department who need to know? Or the police? I don't want to come round the corner one morning and find a scene of devestation having not done anything about it.

Parrot of doom

23,075 posts

264 months

Sunday 13th November 2005
quotequote all
It depends what kind of road it is. If its a local road, it will be maintained by the council, and its them that you need to contact - urgently.

If its a trunk road (ie normally a large bypass, motorway, etc), then its the highways department.

deva link

26,934 posts

275 months

Sunday 13th November 2005
quotequote all
I live in rural Cheshire and the Police here aggressively prosecute farmers who do this.

tvrgit

8,489 posts

282 months

Sunday 13th November 2005
quotequote all
It is an offence under the Highways Act to cause or permit mud or other materials to be deposited on the public road. If it's a B road then it will be for your County Council (not District) to follow that up...

markmullen

Original Poster:

15,877 posts

264 months

Sunday 13th November 2005
quotequote all
Nice one, thanks guys. Just reported it to local council Highways dept who promise to ring me tomorrow to follow it up.

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Monday 14th November 2005
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If they fail to make reasonable efforts to clear / warn or deal with the mud, within a reasonable timeframe of notification, then you may have a case against them should you suffer loss as a result -- according to the barrister who successfully prosecuted this the other day.

grahamw48

9,944 posts

268 months

Monday 14th November 2005
quotequote all
Common problem up this way.
The farmers don't seem to give a toss.

I thought they at least had to put a 'Mud on road' sign up.

The councils are too busy putting silly lines and humps and bumps everywhere to be bothered with pursuing real road hazards.

Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

274 months

Monday 14th November 2005
quotequote all
In the bad old inefficient days of Policing by a Force of small numbers there were such officers as Country Beatmen who lived in the community looked after their patch 24/7 and without putting in an Overtime claim form if over the 8.

He would have been on the job re the mud at the start, rattled Mr Farmers's ears and if he persisted Court and a lot of hassle when his Stock Register was examined -another of Plods responsibility.

dvd

A57 HSV

1,510 posts

260 months

Monday 14th November 2005
quotequote all
I always take great care driving on country lanes, especially at this time of year when any vehicle exiting a field is likely to leave mud on the road. But also in rural areas there is a good chance that there will be livestock, farm vehicles, kids on horses etc. around the next bend.
As dangerous as it is, mud on the road is a fact of the countryside in winter. A lesson I learnt the hard way along time ago, by crashing & writing off a borrowed XJ by skidding on frozen mud left on the road by contractors vehicles when Tracey Park golf course was being expanded. It was my fault for going too fast.

>> Edited by A57 HSV on Monday 14th November 14:53

markmullen

Original Poster:

15,877 posts

264 months

Tuesday 6th December 2005
quotequote all
A quick update, the farmer put up small wooden "mud on road" signs , I didn't know it was that easy to absolve yourself of criminal liability, I will have to write myself a badge for the car saying "I like to speed" and see how far that gets me.

bumpkin

158 posts

285 months

Tuesday 6th December 2005
quotequote all
i suspect the mud on road sign actually is an admission of reponsibility, is it not an offence to drag mud onto the highway?

timbob

2,206 posts

282 months

Tuesday 6th December 2005
quotequote all
Came across a nasty bit of mud this afternoon, at the end of a 2 or 3 mile long straight section of road with dips and rises - so you could be going a good rate of knots at the end. There's a nasty, downhill, off-camber, un-sighted, slippery left hander right at the end of the straight, literally coated in mud. My car had a bit of a squirm, and I was only doing about 35mph at the time, so I'll not be surprised if someone stacks it there later on tonight.

I did see a big tractor/combine thing in the next field down, which I suspect was the culprit....grr!

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
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I phone the police. It's their job to sort it, and they do....

bigdods

7,175 posts

257 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
I phone the police. It's their job to sort it, and they do....


Why waste your money - After a couple of times a while back where I rang the police to report things that were an emergency (in my view) and needed some attention to be told - not our problem goodbye - I wouldnt ring the police unless there was a fresh corpse involved !

EvoBarry

1,903 posts

295 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
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deva link said:
I live in rural Cheshire and the Police here aggressively prosecute farmers who do this.


I live in Cheshire too and this thread reminded me of my route into work.

Got a quick contact number for reporting these dangerous farmers??

Or is it best to just call the local council number direct?

A57 HSV

1,510 posts

260 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
quotequote all
Part of good driving is the ability to predict potential hazards, something that the bikers on this forum will be well aware of.
As I said before, during the winter or after a prolonged wet spell, be aware that agricultural or construction vehicles will leave mud on the road & drive accordingly. It's not possible to exit a muddy field without leaving mud on the road, clearing it up could be just as dangerous, as it would involve using large quantities of water which could freeze. Nowadays with the H&S laws, the road would also probably have to be closed or at least partially so.
It is undeniable dangerous having mud on the road, I know from experience. Even a small amount especially when frozen could cause a skid. It's just a fact of rural roads, as is the potential to meet livestock around a blind corner.
If you drive accordingly, you'll reduce your chances of an accident.

Davel

8,982 posts

288 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
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Report to local council - but don't hold your breath because they ain't bothered much.

heebeegeetee

30,169 posts

278 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
quotequote all
I wish you guys would pack it in! Us road ralliers need that mud, it makes for more fun. I really can't understand what you guys are complaining about. Every week in the winter months there'll be road rallying and 12 cars and scatter rallies and stuff going on, and we all deal with the hazards in our road cars with very little trouble. In fact I don't think I've ever heard anyone 'blame' mud for going off.

If you don't like enjoyable and challenging roads then how about just staying in town, and if you can't deal with whatever challenge does come your way then slow bloody down!

markmullen

Original Poster:

15,877 posts

264 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
quotequote all
heebeegeetee said:

If you don't like enjoyable and challenging roads then how about just staying in town, and if you can't deal with whatever challenge does come your way then slow bloody down!



I am quite able to deal with whatever challenges come my way thanks, I am aware however that the general standard of driving in the UK is very poor and was trying to assist in keeping other people alive.

heebeegeetee

30,169 posts

278 months

Wednesday 7th December 2005
quotequote all
markmullen said:
heebeegeetee said:

If you don't like enjoyable and challenging roads then how about just staying in town, and if you can't deal with whatever challenge does come your way then slow bloody down!



I am quite able to deal with whatever challenges come my way thanks, I am aware however that the general standard of driving in the UK is very poor and was trying to assist in keeping other people alive.


Perhaps the fact that you haven't seen a prang there yet shows that folk are managing just fine without your help. They were probably managing just fine back when they were on crossplies.