Oops! That'll Be A Traffic Cone Then.

[stef123]

What a nightmare on the B922 Glenrothes to Kirkcaldy road last night. I had been out for a cycle, on my way home about 21:15 when i come down the road and a traffic cone appears in the middle of my lane, car coming the other way so i couldn't swerve it so had to hit it at about 50-60mph.

Pulled over a few hundred yards up the road and phoned the police, had a look over the car and then moved it to another spot further down where it was a bit safer.
So the damage so far is the bumper, side skirt and the alloy wheel. Phoned the mrs to come up with her car so i could get some light. She phoned the police again, by this point 2 police cars had passed us and didn't even have the decency to stop and ask if we were ok.

So I get the spare wheel on and start heading home, I come across a mk3 focus pulled over on the side of the road. I pulled in to see if he was ok and it turns out he also smacked the cone at 20:45 and made it this far before the police pulled him into the layby bit for a random check - where his car cut out and was totally dead. If the new focus is like the older mk2 with the ECU in the wheel arch area then this would explain why.
So almost 30 minutes had passed from this guy hitting the cone to me hitting it and the police have done absolutely NOTHING about it!

I only have a picture of the wheel damage so far. The picture isnt great but it is quite a flat spot.

[WES180]

Ouch, all that damage from a plastic cone, what a nightmare! Might as well get yourself a full new set of shiny wheels now then!:)

[stef123]

Ouch, all that damage from a plastic cone, what a nightmare! Might as well get yourself a full new set of shiny wheels now then! :)

It was presumably the big rubber weighted bit at the bottom that done the damage. it was lying on its side already when i hit it.

Meant to be going on holiday soon, could do without this expense right now.

[WES180]

Thats always the way isnt it, things like that never happen if you had a spare few grand sat in the bank. Have a check on eBay, you never know you might drop lucky and find the bits you need relatively cheap unless youre just going to go through your insurance?

[stef123]

The bodywork is just gonna need to stay as it is, the front end matches the back end now after the Mrs reversed it into a wall - obviously someone put the wall there after she got back in the car at the doctors.

A bit of tigerseal should hopefully fix the side skirt.

£50 to fix the flat spot in the wheel. Will need it powder coated again to though after launching it in a rage, it's a bit scuffed now.

[WES180]

£50 to fix the flat spot in the wheel. Will need it powder coated again to though after launching it in a rage, it's a bit scuffed now.

Lol, Incredible Hulk style? We've all felt that rage at some point!

[Stoney871]

Outrageous that nobody stopped for you.

Our underlying mandate for Duty of Care should have come into effect there.

I'd be right onto Highways Agency on that matter.

Anybody involved get any dashcam footage at all?

[stef123]

Lol, Incredible Hulk style? We've all felt that rage at some point!

Basically lol.

I'm still raging at the fact the police had around 30 mins to drive a mile up the road and deal with this but instead chose not to and continued to deal with so called random stop checks, or harassment in my book! Thinking about putting a complaint in about it.

When I phoned them I told them they better get someone out to deal with it now before someone tries to swerve it and causes a head on smash/fatality.

[stef123]

Outrageous that nobody stopped for you.

Our underlying mandate for Duty of Care should have come into effect there.

I'd be right onto Highways Agency on that matter.

Anybody involved get any dashcam footage at all?

They drove past twice, I even aimed my torch directly at them at one point.

No footage that i am aware of, the guy in the focus certainly didnt have any.

Is it highways agency or is it the council?

[Stoney871]

As a B road most likely council.

Tbh you'll not get much joy out of them either.

[stef123]

As a B road most likely council.

Tbh you'll not get much joy out of them either.

I'm expecting the old, 'we knew nothing about it' excuse from them to be honest, seems to get them out of most pothole claims anyway.

I will feel better though when I have had a go at them for what was ultimately a preventable incident.

[stef123]

Went up today to try get some pictures of how the road is just now before they clear it up and deny all knowledge.

This is how it's been left for a weekend, bearing in mind it can be a very busy road and many lorries pass down it too. Quite ridiculous if you ask me.

[stef123]

Also went up again last night to get some video evidence of the road and layout of cones/signs, lo and behold who did i bump into? The same police in the traffic car that were up there that night who pulled the mk3 focus over.

He wasn't up for speaking much, tried to brush it off like he knew nothing of it. The female officer just stood there staring at me. However I have some details and that of the officers for my complaint.

[WES180]

Sounds like your putting a good little case together, hopefully it will lead to someone footing the bill for the repairs rather than yourself. Good luck with it.:)

[stef123]

Sounds like your putting a good little case together, hopefully it will lead to someone footing the bill for the repairs rather than yourself. Good luck with it. :)

Well either way Wes, the attitude of some that night was out of order and I've got a bee in my bonnet. I'm not letting go until I've exhausted everything I have to throw at them.

[WES180]

Well either way Wes, the attitude of some that night was out of order and I've got a bee in my bonnet. I'm not letting go until I've exhausted everything I have to throw at them.

Just leave the part out when you launched the wheel when making your statement!

[stef123]

Just leave the part out when you launched the wheel when making your statement!

hahaha! That wheel is getting straightened and powder coated on tuesday now for £70.

I've run out of chill pills though lol

[WES180]

£70 is a good price, cant find anywhere in the North-West area that cheap for re-powder coating. I was quoted £96 each wheel so am just going to buy new wheels instead of risking wasting the £96 on a poor job. Had some done in the past and the quality was rubbish.

[stef123]

£70 is a good price, cant find anywhere in the North-West area that cheap for repowder coating.

Its normally £45 for an 18 inch wheel at my local place. He does a good job too.

I'm gonna get the back 2 wheels done over the winter, its been about 4 years now and they dont look as good now plus there is corrosion starting again at the valve.

[simcor]

I am rather confused and have no idea how to word this post without you taking it the wrong way lol

Why could you not stop or at the very least lower your speed enough to avoid so much damage?

How does a cone just appear in front of you?

Like I say I am not having a go just I can't understand how this happened from the way you have described it.

Either way whether if you could have avoided hitting it or not, that is bad luck to have sustained so much damage.

Good luck with getting it sorted.

[MONDEO TXS 2.2]

Probably because it was dark ? ( 21.15 )

[Dales]

Police Scotland don't seem to be doing very well at the moment, especially when it comes to road traffic incidents.

But same goes to the council or whoever is responsible for that road repair. Not any sign of road repairs ahead sign to warn you.

Good thing is that you are an experienced driver Stef and rather that have a head on collision with the car on the other side of the road you choose the option which still gave you damage and inconvenience to yourself and car.

Many inexperienced drivers would have swerved and had a head on collision.

Hopefully you get things sorted out mate

[stef123]

I am rather confused and have no idea how to word this post without you taking it the wrong way lol

Why could you not stop or at the very least lower your speed enough to avoid so much damage?

How does a cone just appear in front of you?

Like I say I am not having a go just I can't understand how this happened from the way you have described it.

Either way whether if you could have avoided hitting it or not, that is bad luck to have sustained so much damage.

Good luck with getting it sorted.

No offence taken and my reply here is not having a go at you either.

Trust me if it could have been avoided it would have been.

When there is oncoming cars coming up the hill it's not overly great trying to see down the hill and I had no idea there was anything on the road. I can't drive at 30mph just because there are cars coming. It's a road I know very well, driving it several times a week for the last 8 years.

Had those cones which were already knocked over been a bit more visible from further back then it wouldn't have been an issue, part of the problem is the start of the road comes down a steep hill then levels out so the headlights are not great at highlighting minor details.

To add to that, there was a car up ahead of me too which would have restricted my view even more. I can't recall him swerving the cones but he must have done. Where i was on the road at that time did not allow me to swerve though.

I reckon when I was coming down the hill, the other car must have been blocking the first set of scattered cones from my view, by the time ive come down the hill and the headlights are on the level part it was too late, i did however swerve the second set.

Some will argue, well you were speeding. Those must be the drivers who slow down to 10mph on every bend they can't see round fully on roads they know well right? Didn't think so.

[stef123]

Police Scotland don't seem to be doing very well at the moment, especially when it comes to road traffic incidents.

But same goes to the council or whoever is responsible for that road repair. Not any sign of road repairs ahead sign to warn you.

Good thing is that you are an experienced driver Stef and rather that have a head on collision with the car on the other side of the road you choose the option which still gave you damage and inconvenience to yourself and car.

Many inexperienced drivers would have swerved and had a head on collision.

Hopefully you get things sorted out mate

That was exactly my rant to the police on the phone that night, it's coming up towards a bend - there are cars coming round that bend at 60 and faster quite often. It just takes one person to swerve those cones without thinking and potentially a head on smash.

[simcor]

No offence taken and my reply here is not having a go at you either.

Trust me if it could have been avoided it would have been.

When there is oncoming cars coming up the hill it's not overly great trying to see down the hill and I had no idea there was anything on the road. I can't drive at 30mph just because there are cars coming. It's a road I know very well, driving it several times a week for the last 8 years.

Had those cones which were already knocked over been a bit more visible from further back then it wouldn't have been an issue, part of the problem is the start of the road comes down a steep hill then levels out so the headlights are not great at highlighting minor details.

To add to that, there was a car up ahead of me too which would have restricted my view even more. I can't recall him swerving the cones but he must have done. Where i was on the road at that time did not allow me to swerve though.

I reckon when I was coming down the hill, the other car must have been blocking the first set of scattered cones from my view, by the time ive come down the hill and the headlights are on the level part it was too late, i did however swerve the second set.

Some will argue, well you were speeding. Those must be the drivers who slow down to 10mph on every bend they can't see round fully on roads they know well right? Didn't think so.

Fur enough, that makes a bit more sense. But I guess as always it just goes to show how easy it is to have a problem even on a road you know well.

True speed will always ultimately be a factor, but it does highlight how the outcome could have been different, maybe luck more than anything that we all don't have accidents like that, after all many of us probably drive quicker round roads with bends or dips etc than we probably should in hindsight, often when we feel we know the road only too well, that is when something we don't expect to be there often is, even though we should all be expecting the unexpected all the time.

Like I say though good luck in getting it sorted