Hello,

               I found several big potholes in the A41 going towards Whitchurch services last  Friday  and was unlucky enough to hit one. This is being posted as a warning to all Briskodians who either do travel on this road or might do in the future. I know they are nothing new, of course I do but the car really shook like blazes, it felt like I was dropping off a cliff, I am not exaggerating   and I am now hoping ther big damage underneath. The steering wheel is still central and the wheels dont appear to have been dented and I havent lost any pressure from the tyres and the exhaust doesnt seem to have been damaged. These are all good pointers of course but I am getting it checked out underneath at my normal independent this week and I have to wait until this coming Thursday. I have laid down on the ground to look underneath and cant see anything bent etc but I havent got any car ramps so its getting looked at properly this week. I only had the wheel alignment done a few weeks  ( £30) and the tyres are 75% tread  or better so those alone would come to  £200 if they are shot because of this completely unnecessary and avoidable happening.

 

          For those of you who do not know the area the A41 has "heavies" on it 24/7. Its one of the main thoroughfares from the North West to Wolverhampton and further south nose to tail e and processions of "heavies" are common. Naturally, this plays havoc with the road surface in a big way. Thats not new but the potholes have definitely got much worse  these last few years and the road simply isnt being maintained properly. The c virus hasnt helped but this predates the virus in a big way. I have reported it to Shropshire County Council, the highway authority for the area.  A motorcyclist would have been thrown off, no doubt at that at all and with the "heavies" they wouldnt have stood a chance. I used to run a small motorbike myself 5o odd years ago and I came off more than once but never because of a pothole. If its bad, its bad. I would think the alignment and the wheel balance are both knocked out and maybe springs and shocks if I am really unlucky. I will most certainly be claiming off Shropshire CC and if they cut up rough I have always got the small claims court.  I know I could claim on my car insurance but that will affect next years premium for sure even though I have got protected NCD. Its a "no claim bonus rather than a no blame bonus" as we all know.

 

                      The "heavies" are going to continue to use this road for sure. Although I may not be able to prove it definitively in a court of law I am  100% convinced that roads are simply not being maintained properly. I really am so glad that I wasnt on a motorbike on  Friday, any of the several potholes on that stretch of road would have killed me; period.

 

            As my post title says, beware on this road, it really is in a  very poor condition

 

             Thanks, hope this helps some people.

 

               

 

I hit a pothole in January, wheels and steering OK, but a nasty bulge on the tyre sidewall which let to replacement within 24 hours. I'd advise a good check of the sidewalls (inner and outer) for damage.

 

Hi.

just to let you know we offer a standalone insurance product that covers pot hole damage.

Please feel free to take a look if you wish.

https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/pothole-insurance/

Regards,

Dan.

 

  This is from the original poster to update. My independent gave it a clean bill of health when they looked at it on the hoist. I was naturally pleased but also surprised as it really was a big pothole but I guess my routine of regular tyre pressure checking helped here?  I am going to use a different route in the future after this.  I stand 100% behing my earlier comments that the A41  is more likely to have these problems because of the high numbers of "heavies".