Wet Road - Diesel - Ouch!

[bark]

Hi Guys,

Pretty much as the title goes.

Was going for a run out in car with the better half and a couple of other cars. Come to a roundabout which unknown to me was covered in diesel. Gave way to cars coming round then pulled out nicely with the weather being quite poor. Hit the diesel and all control of the car went!
1 person in front of me also spun and 2 people behind me did the same.

I managed to smash my passenger side front wheel off the nearest kerb which bent my wheel to a whole new angle!
I've spoke to a mechanic friend, he thinks the bottom arm has either snapped or bent and thinks it could go as far as getting the hub replaced to.

So this is where the fun begins:

1 - Would it be worthwhile attempting to recover the costs of the damage from the council responsible for the road - i.e. negligence?

2 - With my car being a cup is the hub different to any other 1*2s?

Any opinions are welcome - and before anybody starts I was not exceeding the speed limit, driving outside of my ability or being a general c*ck on the road!

Cheers
Bark x

 

[Daniel]

Did your parents name you Bark? Thats unfortunate.

 

[Adam.]

Cups do indeed have different hubs iirc.

 

[brisa4984]

same roundabout as this man http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?582110-just-drifted-around-a-roundabout

 

[sbridgey]

Interested to find out if it is. LOL

 

[Revels]

How can you blame the council?

 

[bark]

Adam thanks for the only sensible reply so far.

Revels I know in the past motorcyclists have claimed against the council due to them not dealing properly with the initial clean up.
They have managed to recover the costs of repairs etc so perhaps it would be the same case for me?

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

It would be nigh on impossible to claim from the council.

 

[bark]

I'm clutching at straws to be honest, not the kind of kick to the wallet I need!

 

[SnapMonkey]

The Highways Agency are responsible for upkeep / cleaning of roads. They delegate it to either private companies or councils IIRC.

 

[andywa]

I would say it would be very difficult to claim from the council.

 

[Fletcher]

No chance claiming off the council IMO.

 

[d4vy]

I had this quite recently but with a slightly better outcome, went into a roundabout alot slower than I normally would, turned left, went to turn right again to exit the roundabout in the rain and just went straight on, thankfully blind luck meant instead of hitting the high kerb head on I went up the low bit then back off the other side! Quite late at night so nobody about.

I doubt it would be the councils fault as they can only react if someone reports the problem, and if the diesel was spilled a few moments before nothing they can do tbh, and incredibly difficult to prove you wern't driving like a prat (even if you wern't).

 

[toomer]

Bad luck Bark, cups love stepping out on poor conditions, hope you get it sorted

 

[DrR]

I always find these threads off, been driving 7 years and i've never driven on a slippy diesel patch.

 

[bark]

The guy who lost control prior to me had been pulled up at the side of the road and watched as I smashed into the kerb.

He's gave me all of his contact details as he said he would be a witness for me.
I've taken photos/videos of the scene with evidence of diesel/oil on the road etc.

 

[dazling84]

Very unlucky there! Important thing is at least no one was injured!
IMO you'll have a hell of a game getting the council to admit liability for compensation.

 

[bark]

DrRollo - I've been driving for 6 years now, full no claims and no points.
I don't drive like a tw@, like others I enjoy the occassional stretching her legs but there's a time and place.

Damp conditions on quite rural roads is not a good place to play!
I was doing <10mph and can only describe the feeling as having no control over anything at all!

 

[sbridgey]

where was it?

 

[bark]

It was on the Beamish roundabout near Durham.

Only took the council and gritters 3 hours to come out!

 

[DrR]

DrRollo - I've been driving for 6 years now, full no claims and no points.
I don't drive like a tw@, like others I enjoy the occassional stretching her legs but there's a time and place.

Damp conditions on quite rural roads is not a good place to play!
I was doing <10mph and can only describe the feeling as having no control over anything at all!

No no, not saying you were, just it worries me cos one day it's gonna bite me on the arse lol

 

[Whiteley]

172 Cup hubs are the same as every other 172, ph1 or ph2. 182 CUP/packed are different.

 

[bark]

No no, not saying you were, just it worries me cos one day it's gonna bite me on the arse lol

Think I'm either going to have to fit bigger profile tyres, some sort of dodgem buffer around the full outside of the car or to not drive!

It's actually scared me and put me off

Thanks for the reply Whiteley - I was hoping for this.

 

[Munson]

How can you blame the council?

Sigh. Smeone has to take the blame.

 

[Russ_16v]

Cant claim off the Council, how is it their fault if something has been spilled on the road? They dont have eyed everywhere.

Sorry to hear about the damage.

 

[KMB]

I always find these threads off, been driving 7 years and i've never driven on a slippy diesel patch.

I have driven cars and motorcycles for nearly 20 years, you will one day find diesel and if it's damp it is worse than ice.... years ago I was on the way off on a holiday in a Laguna, fully loaded (with the family), the first roundabout we did a 180° at walking pace, no damage other than pride! It turned out to be a farm vehicle that filled it's tank then overflowed onto the road whilst turning.

It will happen one day, just look out for a rainbow shine and be especially careful near lorry parks/stops.

I have since been over quite a few other diesel spills on tenderhooks, the worst thing is being oblivious to the danger

 

[marinemackay2003]

pics?

 

[bark]

^^ that's a pic of the road exiting the roundabout

^^ that's a pic looking back to the roundabout - it's extremely obvious on the exit side but nothing so clear on the roundabout!

 

[Scrooge]

I've only slipped on diesel once and that was because my tank was leaking like mad leaving a trail behind me, there must be more witnesses and incidents on a busy roundabout like the one in your pictures to me it looks like you were chasing the ZS fiesta? I might be wrong but thats what it looks like. It has to be a lot of diesel to slip on at a small speed, and there is no way it would just be a couple of people slipping. In those pictures it doesn't look to be alot of diesel oil spilt.

 

[Addicted]

good luck for the claim if you put one in, friend did the same and got nowhere!

at least this is a real "i slipped" and no "drifting" evident

 

[Goodj]

Try your luck with the council but dont hold your breath.

the spill could have been there 5 days, it could have been there 5 minutes. You cnan't expect the council to be ready with cement dust every mile of every carriageway.

 

[bark]

There was 4 people who spun at that point so not only me. The fiesta was behind me if you look at the pics, the car in front did a 270o, I hit the kerb, the fiesta "drifted' lol and another clio did the same.

I've got 5 people who'll act as a witness soooooooo.....

 

[dezmondo]

That's a bummer!

There was an instance near me where a diesel tanker was dumping a trail of the stuff for about 12 miles on the main A606 in Leicestershire right through Melton Mowbray and out the other side. I had a brief slip but then went on the go slow. During my journey there were around 9 cars either in a ditch or in a collision (2 of them XR2i's wierdly). Anyway a mate got caught by it and firstly tried the highways who claimed that they only controlled the road from the surface down and not anything on the surface?? Later on the police tracked down the tanker that had spilt the diesel but, as they only witnessed him spilling it for a few hundred yards, they said they couldn't prove that it was him that had spilt earlier (despite him admitting that was his route and that he had delivered fuel along that route). There was therefore no case for his firm (Shell) to answer and my mate had to fork out.

I'm afraid to say it'll be the wallet getting a hit this time!

 

[Chris n nic]

I think the council claim would only stand if they had received a report on the spillage and did nothing. I had a similar thing years back regarding a pothole..fucked my alloy and tyre but because they had no report they can't really be expected to do anything about it

Chris

 

[mcclusky]

i was the one at the back and traffic had built up ahead cause of the picasso so was only doing around 10mph. the guy in the middle went at a right angle to me and i was inches away from hitting him and the kerb where bark went into. luckily i managed to stop in time and didnt get hit from the lass behind. could have been a three car bump.

 

[M@tt_182]

I'd be very suprised if the Council are interested in the case even if you have an army of witnesses. A spillage isn't something that can be controlled however if it had been reported before your accident and not rectified you might have a chance?

 

[Dan1587]

I reckon you'll get your money back mate! I hit a pothole in my old golf, got a claim form filled it out and sent pics, all like you have done and got my money back, even if it was 9months later, better than never!
Its not your fault its on the road, and some could say its not theirs, if this is so why do we pay road tax, and council tax. For them to throw a little bit of gravel around and read the Sun. Hmmmmm.
The army of witness can only help you mate!

Good on you mate, I wouldn't expect to get your money back the same day but eventually you will i'm sure. Just don't take the piss putting in a claim for £2k, just put the actual cost of the repairs, if you can get a garage bill that would be even better

 

[mcclusky]

one of them things.

all i can say is thank fook for ABS.

 

[Goodj]

one of them things.

all i can say is thank fook for ABS.

ABS wont help you if there's no traction unfortunately.

If there's diesel in the mix, you can have as many driver aids as you like you're still going round.

 

[Tigger]

I hit something slippy on a corner yesterday too
Doing about 20mph as it was pretty sharp anyway and over crest, all of a sudden the wheel jerked towards the kerb and I pulled away with only the nearside front rim all scuffed - which was kerbed a bit anyway.

The wheel only grazed the kerb for a second, not even full circle but took out a few wee chips

Just wondering will everything in behind the wheel be ok?