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The Case for Bike-Friendly Infrastructure: How to Reduce Pothole-Related Injuries for Cyclists

Thousands of cyclists suffer painful injuries each year because of potholes. These types of accidents can be prevented with the right infrastructure. Creating bike-friendly infrastructure is essential to making our roads safer for cyclists. Here are some steps you can take in that direction.

The Dangers of Potholes for Cyclists

Potholes and other road defects are commonly caused by freezing weather conditions, so riders should be extra vigilant during winter and throughout spring. Potholes can cause cyclists to lose control of their bikes, throw them off balance, and at worst cause serious injuries if a cyclist is unable to recover. To prevent such accidents, cyclists should pay close attention to the surface of the road and avoid hitting potholes as much as possible. Additionally, it is also important to ensure your bike has proper brakes and tires that offer maximum protection. Taking these safety precautions can help cyclists defensively prepare against sudden surface changes on the road, including potholes. If you have been injured as a result of a pothole it may be possible to claim Pothole Compensation for your injuries. 

How to Report a Pothole

Reporting a pothole is a great way to help improve the safety of any roadway. There are several effective ways in which to report a pothole, though the best method depends on your location. For example, you might find that your local council provides an online form you can use or that they require you to call your county’s department of public works. If a local council is not available, then reporting the issue on gov.uk can also be effective. Remember to provide the most accurate details possible when reporting the location and size of the pothole; this will ensure that it gets addressed in a timely fashion. Taking the time to report a pothole is a valuable way of helping keep roads safe!

The Local Council’s Responsibility to Maintain Safe Roads

The local council has an important responsibility to maintain roads that are safe and usable for its citizens. Roads should be well-maintained, with up-to-date infrastructure to protect motorists and pedestrians. Proper signage and traffic lights should also be provided in order to ensure that drivers can easily understand their rights of way at all turns. Additionally, areas where large numbers of people will congregate, such as schools and parks, should have additional safety features available upon entry. Ultimately, it is the local council’s duty to make sure that its roads are free from harm so they can be used safely by everyone within the area.

What You Can Do to Advocate for Better Bike Infrastructure

Riding a bike is becoming more and more popular as an alternative form of transportation, yet the infrastructure to support it isn’t always there. That’s why advocating for better bike infrastructure is so important. You can join biking advocacy groups, write letters or emails to your elected councillors, and use social media to raise awareness about this issue. Participating in local events that promote bike lanes can also have a positive effect as statistics show bike lanes do reduce cycling accidents. Every bit helps when it comes to making our cities and towns safer for cyclists!

How to Stay Safe While Riding Your Bike

Cycling is an efficient and eco-friendly way to get around; however, it can also be dangerous if you do not take safety measures into account. The first step to a safe ride is always wearing a helmet. Make sure your bicycle has working brakes, lights in the winter, good tires, and that your helmet fits properly. Additionally, be sure to plan your route in advance; take streets that are well lit at night or trails with less traffic during the day. Be aware of your surroundings, look outside of blind spots several times and use hand signs before turning or changing lanes. Demonstrate defensive riding by constantly looking ahead for potential hazards such as potholes or cars parked in the bike lane. Making these considerations will enable you to enjoy an enriched cycling experience while keeping you safe on the road!

In conclusion, potholes are a serious danger for cyclists and can lead to severe injuries. To reduce the number of incidents, bike-friendly infrastructure should be established to make roads safer and easier to travel. Cyclists must also do their part by paying attention to the road surface, alerting authorities when they come across potholes, and wearing helmets. By advocating for better biking infrastructure and using defensive riding techniques, we can all work together to ensure the safety of cyclists on the road.

We are cyclists ourselves at Cycle SOS, and know full well how problematic potholes can be. In the majority of cases, we can assist you with a claim for injuries caused by an accident involving a pothole at no initial cost to you.

For more information or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.