Watch out for bushes

[tykeboy2003]

On monday, cycling home from work I got myself tangled up in a bush which was growing out over the edge of the road - result, spectacular crash, cracked skull, broken shoulder blade and several cracked ribs. Got out of hospital yesterday and seem to be mending well, look like I've done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

Is it worth raising this with the local council?

[reohn2]

OUCH!
Get well soon,I would definitely report to the council and get in touch with a solicitor to see if there's any chance of a claim.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Bushes are a bit of a grey area. They are natural, if it had been an unmarked kerb, pot hole, or sticky outy fence, it would be more clear cut. Still let the council know, take photos, and get their ( and your ) legal eagles involved.

[pwa]

Another question is whose bush it is. Is it growing from council land?

[mattheus]

It would be a public service to let them know; CUK has an online facility that's pretty quick/easy (fixthathole maybe? It's for all kinds of hazards!)

[mjr]

http://www.fixmystreet.com but some rubbish councils (Essex) don't reply to reports from it and you have to go through their own rubbish harder-to-use website.

You'll probably only be able to claim successfully if you can show it was already reported or it had been there and dangerous so long that a routine (possibly annual) inspection missed it.

[dim]

On monday, cycling home from work I got myself tangled up in a bush which was growing out over the edge of the road - result, spectacular crash, cracked skull, broken shoulder blade and several cracked ribs. Got out of hospital yesterday and seem to be mending well, look like I've done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

Is it worth raising this with the local council?

Ouch! ... did this happen in the dark?

[peetee]

The council or the highways authority have a duty to maintain clear sight lines adjacent to junctions and on bends and visibility of signs on roads so if, by chance, your offending vegetation contravenes either of these points you stand a better chance of a claim.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

The council or the highways authority have a duty to maintain clear sight lines adjacent to junctions and on bends and visibility of signs on roads so if, by chance, your offending vegetation contravenes either of these points you stand a better chance of a claim.

Unless its a junction of a cycle path to a road and a café sign on private land is obscuring view of oncoming cars

They copped out of their responsibility and said the sign is on private land.
Even though the café is fighting planning permission with the council for the café to stay there
Private land is behind a farmers fence.

[peetee]

Hi,

The council or the highways authority have a duty to maintain clear sight lines adjacent to junctions and on bends and visibility of signs on roads so if, by chance, your offending vegetation contravenes either of these points you stand a better chance of a claim.

Unless its a junction of a cycle path to a road and a café sign on private land is obscuring view of oncoming cars

They copped out of their responsibility and said the sign is on private land.
Even though the café is fighting planning permission with the council for the café to stay there
Private land is behind a farmers fence.

Yep. I should have been clearer. By that I meant any land within the highway boundary (eg verges) should be kept clear to maintain sight lines.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,

The council or the highways authority have a duty to maintain clear sight lines adjacent to junctions and on bends and visibility of signs on roads so if, by chance, your offending vegetation contravenes either of these points you stand a better chance of a claim.

Unless its a junction of a cycle path to a road and a café sign on private land is obscuring view of oncoming cars

They copped out of their responsibility and said the sign is on private land.
Even though the café is fighting planning permission with the council for the café to stay there
Private land is behind a farmers fence.

Yep. I should have been clearer. By that I meant any land within the highway boundary (eg verges) should be kept clear to maintain sight lines.

Wasn't knocking you at all, just a rant at council for allowing such a sign to obscure good sight of oncoming traffic.
The bloody sign is meant to attract persons to the café adjacent to cycle path, the exiting cyclist see a sign at eye level with traffic coming one side from behind them, its not a good exit on a very busy rat run.

[peetee]

If it’s a private driveway the council has no obligation As it’s not a sight line belonging to them - even if it joins a highway. Best contact the signs owner and ask it to be moved or lowered. If they express lack of interest get a petition going amongst local cyclists. Hopefully with knowledge of that they will see the potential for lost business.

[ambodach]

A few years ago my van was written off by an army cadet minibus being driven round a blind bend far too fast. I had stopped as it was a single track road. Vision was obscured by some bushes and the attending police officer said that the local council would do nothing unless there were 4 or more accidents at that spot. My van was 3rd and sure enough after the next bump the vegetation was cut back.

[Darkman]

A lot of councils have stopped cutting hedges/grass now because apparently they can't afford to do it. It's definitely worth pointing out the danger to them, and the accident it's caused.

Near me there's a junction on a bend where we go out onto the main road. It's a 60mph limit, but anything coming round the corner at that speed is not going to see you and stop in time. I've told them it's an accident waiting to happen many times but they just said "there hasn't been an accident there yet so we're not going to do anything". Reported it to Lincs Road Safety Partnership and they said exactly the same.

It should be a 40 limit, max.

Anyway, on the junction two years ago they announced they were no longer cutting the grass. One of the neighbours cut it last, when the grass and weeds got to over three feet tall so you just couldn't see what was coming.

It's only a matter of time. I've had numerous near-misses. But obviously saving money is more important to them than people's lives.

[foxyrider]

and trees! over the last few months riding around North Somerset / South Glos i've had very close encounters with trees both live and dead encroaching onto the carriageway even on busy A roads (the A46 springs to mind but its far from alone.) On Friday i passed a tractor doing some agressive tree/hedge trimming up near Cirencester leaving a trail of branches strewn across the verge and road edges.

Sometimes its not the councils saving money, its their operatives stupidity, its not just roads of course, the council cleared a fallen tree from the Bristol Bath track a couple of weeks ago leaving countless large splinters and bits of wood across the roadway - its a cycle path for heavens sake, 2 minutes with a broom would've made it safe.