Council road inspections: the code of conduct

If you’ve had an accident which you believe was caused by a badly-surfaced road, it’s worth knowing that there is a code of practice that governs their inspection.

You need to ask the council for their inspection and repair records for the stretch of road where you had your accident. If they had identified it as in need of repair but failed to do so within a reasonable timescale you should succeed with a claim.

Likewise if they had not inspected it for an unreasonable period you may also succeed. The time period can depend on how busy the road is and its classification.

The frequency of inspections is governed by the Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance Management 2005. As long as the local authority have signed up to the Code.

Derby City Council is one such authority. Click here to see how they adhere to the code.

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