UK Pothole Epidemic - Resurface Our Roads
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2024
- MAG amplifies pothole campaign with new video.
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) today launches a new pothole campaign video. The Resurface Our Roads campaign is being pushed to a new level with MAG promoting a co-ordinated strategy both locally and nationally.
The video can be shared with parliamentarians and councillors, but also contains calls to action that can easily be followed by riders.
The campaign video starts with an explanation of the serious implications of our poorly maintained road network for riders. The aim, without scaremongering, is to bring the gravity of the risks faced by riders to the fore in the campaign. MAG personalises the sterile statistics with the stories of riders who have suffered injury as a result of poor road surfaces and goes on to provide riders with two lines of attack.
Firstly, the campaign asks riders to sign a petition calling for increased funding, and then to write to their MP asking them to work with MAG to bring a formal parliamentary debate on funding to the table.
The video includes comments from Asphalt Industry Alliance Chair Rick Green and well-known pothole campaigner Mark “Mr Pothole” Morrell. Combined with data from this year’s ALARM report the case is very clearly made for increased central government funding.
The second line of attack that the video recommends is scrutiny of local authorities. Interviews with Ben Rawding, General Manager, Government & Municipalities at JCB, and James Harper from Stoke on Trent City Council cover some of the detail of best practice. It is clear that whilst pockets of best practice do exist, there is a need for far more investment in kit like JCB’s Pothole Pro. Stoke City Council managed to clear a seven-year backlog of pothole repairs in just 12 months with the machine.
In the video, MAG examines the UK Roads Liaison Group guidelines for assessing road defects. But, as is discussed with Mr Pothole, the risk assessment inspectors often seem unable to fairly assess the risks to all road user groups.
MAG is therefore encouraging riders to ask their local authorities two questions: firstly, are they investing in modern kit to carry out repairs? And secondly, are their assessors competent in terms of understanding the risks posed to riders by surface defects?
MAG’s Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said:
“We cover in the video how even MPs admit that potholes are considered a running joke, and how the press do not see the issue as much more than a lightweight story for election campaigns. For riders this issue can be one of life or death. We are demanding that it is treated with the gravity it deserves. Our aim is to raise this at both local and national level with a co-ordinated and consistent drum beat. Any rider can take part in the campaign by investing five minutes to sign a petition and write two letters. MAG will work with any and all MPs and Councillors genuinely interested in taking on the challenge of making our road network fit for purpose. I am sure that those who engage with us will be remembered when polling day comes, but the real work needs to be done outside of the political election circus. That means now.”
ENDS
Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org
0:00 Intro
1:08 Potholes cause accidents and injury
3:35 Road repairs and the financial deficit
7:18 Sign our pothole petition
7:56 See the JCB Pothole Pro in action
10:50 What size do potholes need to be to warrant a repair
Notes for Editors
Research carried out by MAG has shown that, on average, four motorcyclists die every year as a result of poor road maintenance and a further 70 per year suffer serious injuries. The research shows that despite representing less than 1% of all road traffic, motorcycles feature in 27.5% of all RTCs where road surface defects are listed as a contributory factor. Pedal cyclists are also over-represented, being involved in 14.7% of these RTCs.
Sign up to MAG or leran more here: www.mag-uk.org
Sign the Petition: petition.parliament.uk/petiti...
ALARM Report 2023: www.asphaltuk.org/alarm-surve...
Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice: www.ciht.org.uk/media/17087/w...
How to Engage with your MP: • Ask MAG #1 How to lobb...
Find and write to your councillor and MP: www.writetothem.com/
With thanks to @highwayharper, JCB, Stoke City Council, Mr Pothole, Asphalt Industry Alliance, BBC NI's Nolan Live Show.
Join MAG here: www.mag-uk.org - Авто та транспорт
MAG, the only National organisation standing up for bikers on a daily basis.
Great Video really sums up the gap between the rhetoric and reality, the United Kingdom's roads are a really danger to road users
Watched a retired Highways engineer consultant interview and he says the main reason we are getting so many potholes is because the old practise of Tar and Chippings which he says used to protect against potholes for a minimum of 15yrs is a victim of cutbacks. He explained the tar in liquid form sealed the cracks against water penetration and the chippings dressed the surface against premature wear. It used to annoy us driving on freshly laid chippings but the practise needs bringing back urgently.
We have a number of motorcycling clients who have been badly injured due to road surface defects on Scotland's roads. Potholes, surface dressing, wrong use of materials etc. We have sued the local authority responsible on many occasions and been successful. However, sadly, their practices do not seem to alter.
GO MAG! This is what you get from government who's only mantra is reducing taxes!! Crumbling infrastructure. Great video by the way ! As a biker your increased focus has to be on the next 20 metres of road ahead, in order to weave in and out of the potholes and drain covers. So planning the ride ahead has become a non-starter.
Yep, even worse at night and/or in the wet when potholes masquerade as puddles...
The issue for me is looking in front of the bike instead of down the road, especially on unfamiliar corners
14:20 "We're asking local Authorities to review the competence of their assessors". A good call but also why not contact your local MP and make them DIRECTLY accountable. With so much fake news and media spin/bias its hard to know where the truth is with many things, BUT potholes are real and a clear and present danger to cyclists and motorcycles we can do something if we make our Local MP accountable, there must be enough of us to apply direct pressure, I'm fed up with "asking nicely" as they clearly demonstrate they just don't care about us..
Hit a pothole a couple of days ago whilst driving my car - the impact was enough to actually break the suspension spring. I'm only glad I was in the car at the time, not on my bike. The problem is that the authorities bodge the repairs instead of doing proper resurfacing - the bodges last between 2-4 weeks and then the nature of repair makes the pothole worse as well as leaving more debris all over the road.
Helps.
One of the worst roads in the country must be the Bishops Avenue in north London. It must be one of the most expensive places to buy a property but the road is so dangerous. It has a 40mph limit on it but if you travel at more than 20mph you are risking your bike and life as you have to swerve all over the place to avoid all the potholes and broken surface.
Keep up the great work that you do.
We are expected to maintain a certain standard of road worthyness of our vehicles through MOT and if we do not there are legal penalties fines etc if we dont comply,also we pay road taxes presumably for the upkeep and maintainance of the roads and we as motorcyclists are one of the more vulnerable of road users so the under funding of road repairs is a direct threat to our very lives and is totally unacceptable its a disgrace ive toured France,Germany,Spain,Scotland on motorcycle trips and I can tell you our roads are the worst by far.
that's a coincident stoke or stafford being the police rider training area. and i can only see that machine being broke down more than being used.
can we have iron work removed from bends next, 2 lovely examples on the snake pass heading down into glossop,
And those stupid white/ yellowchevrons on some corners, slow signs etc, slippy as hell in the wet.
Pot holes... Sink holes, bad enough in my little car nevermind a motorbike I only found this because my car fell down one of these today and I'm just sick of it
How much does the DVLA raise in road tax in a year ? which we pay for the priveledge of using our roads. and why is it not being used to repair our roads.?
Hit a large pothole with many others in my subaru £495 for the wheel£195 for tyre.tried to claim but was told as road was inspected within previous 6 months no case to answer!!¡!!!!!@@@@@
Whereabouts was this?
Diversity management is soooo much more important than potholes.. I'm so pleased as a taxpayer my money being used for Diversity than roads...£500 on road tax £250 on new tyres due to potholes.. no gully emptying... water all over the road surfaces...our roads are so dangerous... roads in France spain and Italy are way ahead of ours. We have third world roads and third world country... we've imported third world what do we expect
What you've got to understand is that the Government needs to save money, so they can GIVE AWAY 11 BILLION POUNDS TO OTHER COUNTRIES. Only 3974 people can be bothered to sign the petition, well they know we mean business now. What a joke. Maybe we could get the saviours of the planet ( cyclists) to get involved, we'd get everything we need at no coast to us at all, other people can pay for it.
😭 *Promo sm*