BIKER GUIDE ARTICLE - 2024


Pothole peril

MCE Insurance

Over the last decade Britain's roads have massively declined in quality due to aging infrastructure, hard up councils and worsening weather. But fear not, luckily there are ways you can attempt to get councils to do something before the worse happens and also ways you can adjust your riding to try to combat the bad road surfaces we now have to face everyday.

What can I do?

If you know of a bad pothole or collection of potholes then your council probably doesn't. Potholes can open up very quickly and councils have a backlog of work so new ones invariably get overlooked. Sadly they never really do a proper job on them, only a cover up which in only a few months opens up again. This is better than nothing though and in some cases they may eventually resurface the whole road if they receive enough complaints.

That it seems is the best way to get something moving, complain. Complain to your council through their website or through pothole campaigning sites. Twitter is also a great medium for complaining with plenty of pothole watchers and campaigners on the social media site.

Keep at it until you get some sort of response and wait for repairs. It's worth checking the repairs afterwards to see their quality and complain again if they are not up to standard.

How can I adjust my riding?

Be aware. That's the soundest bit of advice I can give. Even if you've been riding the same stretch of road for a number of years that doesn't mean a pothole hasn't opened up on that long sweeping left hander. Always keep an eye on the road surface and what's coming up.

Avoid. Do your best to dodge potholes as you go. Some can be horrendously deep and long which can get you into all sorts of trouble. Aim for the safe, flat bits of tarmac whilst of course staying on your side of the road.

Ride it out. If you do hit a pothole I find it's best to ride it out. Let the bike right itself and get into a true shape again and carry on. I'd stop to check suspension if it's a really big bang.

I hope this guide has gone a little way into giving advice on potholes. Please browse the below websites for more information and of course people, ride safe.

Useful pothole links:

A site dedicated to all things pothole: www.potholes.co.uk

Government reporting site: www.gov.uk/reportpothole

Another pothole filling help site: www.fillthathole.org.uk

An avid campaigner against potholes: Mr Pothole

23.06.14 - Big Ed

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