Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition

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Sat 27 Jul 2013 20:17
Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition - guygamps

Hi, my daughter recently suffered a puncture caused by the condition of the kerb where she parked, In fact the tyres was shredded by the leading edge of a drain/gutter that was so sharp as to be a danger to anyone parking. Some pics are here

i108.photobucket.com/albums/n40/guygamps/Drain_ker...g

i108.photobucket.com/albums/n40/guygamps/IMG_20130...g

un beleivable!

The kerb in question is in St Albans, but I know from reporting a pot hole once that you have to contact Herts Disctrict Council, not St Albans City Council. However, when I to to the HDC there are links which take you the Highways Agency, now that is a national body, and I can't see an address to write to, nor email address except for emergencys.
Its not a pot hole, so where do I report it, and can I get the costs back of the tyre replacement. My daughters car only has Spacesaver, and she was due later that day to make a long motorway drive, so she called out (at my suggestion) a local tyre fella, who fitted a replacement tyre.

As a young single wpman, I also decided to put a full size spare wheel in the car for future, but thats neither here nor there,

thanks for your comment

guygamps

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Sat 27 Jul 2013 20:48
Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition - gordonbennet

I would think that nasty spike has claimed a few tyres and ruined a few alloy wheels over the years, spike looks worn so i expect its been like that for several years possibly decades.

Whether you will be successful in getting your tyre costs back i wouldn't like to say, i'd be wary of touching any part of that kerb with a flimsy car tyre/wheel.

Handy trolley jack that and your impact gun looks a useful bit of kit and an excellent idea to equip your daughters car with a real spare wheel.

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Sat 27 Jul 2013 21:49
Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition - brum

I think the general idea is to drive on the road and not on the kerb....and with your eyes open.

Edited by brum on 27/07/2013 at 21:50

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Sat 27 Jul 2013 22:03
Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition - galileo

From your photos the drain appears to be on the pavement, not the road. Unless the road is a major road, it will not be maintained by the Highways Agency but by the Local Authority).

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Sun 28 Jul 2013 00:17
Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition - bathtub tom

I think you may have a problem as it looks like the kerb and not the road surface caused the damage.

Best of luck though!

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Sun 28 Jul 2013 14:24
Vollkswagen Polo - Damage to car caused by highways condition - guygamps

the tools belong to my friendly local fella who looks after my cars, I was away for the day and called him to go and give my daughter a hand, I knew we only had a spacesaver, and that she was later driving motorways that day. He changed the tyre on the wheel, binned the spacesaver and supplied a full size spare steel wheel for future such emergencies

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