Car vs wall, wall won

ART6

Set off this morning to go down to the village shop to get the newspapers. Road wet but not noticable icy. Down around a bend a quarter of a mile , black ice big time and an adverse camber. Being a suspicious type I eased up on the loud pedal and the car proceeded to turn through every point of the zodiac before hammering into a stone wall. Write off job.

The road there has subsided into the adverse camber, so a neighbour insists, because of the heavy bulk earth movers that ran over it while they were building a new hotel and housing estate in the village. Needless to say, in spite of his approaches (he has had three cars in his front garden and one that smacked into his car last night) the council are apathetic.

After my contest with the wall ( the wall won) the guards arrived, and the first one to step out of the squad car slipped on the ice and nearly fell over. The road was impossible to even walk on. A guy walking his dog did a bit of ballet when he hit it.

So now my question. What in God's name do we pay our taxes for if they can't even provide with roads that are safe to drive on? That particular bend has claimed a lot of people, and council "engineers" have visited it. A shrug of the shoulders seems to be the solution to the problem. Is it not possible that some resurfacing with chippings at least might make it passable? Is it not possible that before they press on with NCTs for cars, that they might attempt to make our roads properly engineered and fit for purpose?

OK, sorry ladies and gentlemen of the motors forum. Rant over:)

johndaman66

Out of curiosity what County are you in ART6? Three cars ended up half in the ditch all nearby and close to below my house yesterday. Rang the local Garda station to request that the road be closed under the circumstances. The road was just about passable if negotiated carefully with good tyres etc but with the cars half in the ditch they were a real hazard to other vehicles to crash into and hence why I made the call. Howsever, was re-directed to another Garda station when I rang and eventually after explaining the road I was talking about to them for 10 odd minutes they said they would notify the Guards in the station I originally rang to close the road.

To cut a long story short the road remains open with two of the cars still half in the ditch and as dangerous as ever.

ART6

johndaman66 wrote: »

Out of curiosity what County are you in ART6? Three cars ended up half in the ditch all nearby and close to below my house yesterday. Rang the local Garda station to request that the road be closed under the circumstances. The road was just about passable if negotiated carefully with good tyres etc but with the cars half in the ditch they were a real hazard to other vehicles to crash into and hence why I made the call. Howsever, was re-directed to another Garda station when I rang and eventually after explaining the road I was talking about to them for 10 odd minutes they said they would notify the Guards in the station I originally rang to close the road.

To cut a long story short the road remains open with two of the cars still half in the ditch and as dangerous as ever.

I'm in Co. Waterford, where road maintenance is a figment of the imagination:mad:

maidhc

ART6 wrote: »

I'm in Co. Waterford, where road maintenance is a figment of the imagination:mad:

Co Waterford has the best roads in the country.I'm suggesting they are good or maintained, but try Co. Cork!

ToxicPaddy

maidhc wrote: »

Co Waterford has the best roads in the country....

Whoever claimed that are talking out of their ar*e!!!! :mad:

Buford T Justice

Either way, the council (borough or county) are responsible or maintaining the roads in the local areas. I would lodge a comlplaint and claim with them or the county manager for the damages to my car as a result of their direct failure to take any measures to ensure the safety of road users. I'd have photos and so on before doing this though

I hit a stone in a ditch once, and claimed from the council for two new tyres and wheels as a result of the damage. They claimed it wasn't their problem since the stone was in the ditch and therfore an issue for the landowner. I answered if that is the case, then why were the county council placing road surface material on land that is not theirs.

Silence for a few weeks then got a cheque for my claim.

Flyer1

maidhc wrote: »

Co Waterford has the best roads in the country.I'm suggesting they are good or maintained, but try Co. Cork!

You haven't been to Wexford !

Pdfile

Flyer1 wrote: »

You haven't been to Wexford !

depends where abouts you are really, motorways and main roads/towns are going to have better then anything else really... and its a shame !

TheNog

ART6 wrote: »

Set off this morning to go down to the village shop to get the newspapers. Road wet but not noticable icy. Down around a bend a quarter of a mile , black ice big time and an adverse camber. Being a suspicious type I eased up on the loud pedal and the car proceeded to turn through every point of the zodiac before hammering into a stone wall. Write off job.

The road there has subsided into the adverse camber, so a neighbour insists, because of the heavy bulk earth movers that ran over it while they were building a new hotel and housing estate in the village. Needless to say, in spite of his approaches (he has had three cars in his front garden and one that smacked into his car last night) the council are apathetic.

After my contest with the wall ( the wall won) the guards arrived, and the first one to step out of the squad car slipped on the ice and nearly fell over. The road was impossible to even walk on. A guy walking his dog did a bit of ballet when he hit it.

So now my question. What in God's name do we pay our taxes for if they can't even provide with roads that are safe to drive on? That particular bend has claimed a lot of people, and council "engineers" have visited it. A shrug of the shoulders seems to be the solution to the problem. Is it not possible that some resurfacing with chippings at least might make it passable? Is it not possible that before they press on with NCTs for cars, that they might attempt to make our roads properly engineered and fit for purpose?

OK, sorry ladies and gentlemen of the motors forum. Rant over:)

Alright ART as a respected poster on poster on boards I hope you dont mind mind my input into this...

1. there is approx 90,000koms of roads in this country so to expect an all weather road surface in an all weather country (from time to time) cannot be expected

2. unfortunatley the taxes we pay do not give us taxpayers greater brain power or common sense. I too have been a victim of the ice but luckily I came out of it the better. There have been numerous media releases by AA roadwatch and Gardai across the country to avoid unnecessary travel

3. Many. many Garda patrol cars were grounded across the country for the very reason of dangerous conditions and will only respond to emergency situations. Unfortunately when many people hear dont make unnecessary journeys they believe getting their kids to school or to get to work as a necessary journey is included in that which it isnt. It is up to each individual driver to assess the danger themselves through various means such as media or gardai or throught their own driving experience on the road at that time

here are some of the many warnings issued to drivers:

26th

http://breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/1226/ireland/icy-conditions-continue-on-roads-439577.html

http://breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/1226/ireland/gardai-warn-motorists-of-treacherous-roads-439648.html

27th

http://breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/1227/ireland/icy-conditions-cause-problems-on-the-roads-439776.html

http://breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/1227/ireland/countrys-roads-hit-by-icy-conditions-439735.html

http://breakingnews.ie/archives/2009/1227/ireland/gardai-warn-motorists-of-treacherous-roads-

its no consolation to you but unfortunately there it is. It could have happened to you or someone else but there it is.

Buford T Justice

I Disagree TheNog

Sure, there are adverse weather conditions out there, but just because there are notifications of the advserse conditions, it does not exonerate the councils from their responsibility.
That's like having a sign up saying we know there's a hole in the footpath ahead and be careful, but without taking any measures to prevent people from falling into it.

What you would consider a necessary journey, and what I would consider necessary would be two completely different things.

I would consider getting to work a necessity, as I don't get paid if I don't go to work. I consider going to the shop a necessity, as if I don't have enough milk for my daughter's bottle, she won't go to bed etc etc...

ART6

No offence taken, TheNog, and I agree with your comments in general. However, in this particular case the road surface on the bend was worn smooth long ago, and excessive heavy vehicle traffic on it when a new housing estate and hotel was built nearby caused the outer lane to subside, creating an adverse camber. It has been responsible for a number of accidents over the years, when ice played no part in them. Residents have approached the county council on a number of occasions, but nothing at all has been done about it.

It's interesting to note, though, that two or three years ago Bertie Ahern was visiting the hotel. The road right up to the hotel gates was resurfaced the week before his visit. The road beyond it, including my favourite bend, was not. So it seems that the comfort of Bertie was important but the safety of locals was not. That is what causes a red mist to descend over my eyes.