Highway safety inspections

Why we carry out highway inspections

We carry out inspections to:

• Find defects which could pose a risk to highway users and which we must deal with as a priority
• Find defects which should be repaired to avoid problems developing and which we can deal with as part of a works programme
• Assess the overall structural condition of sections of the road network so that we can allocate funds where they are most needed
• Allow efficient planning of maintenance work

What we do about defects

We record the defects we find on roads, pavements and street furniture and mark them with white paint. We also make a note of litter and overgrown plants and trees and of streets that might need surface dressing and resurfacing etc. in a future works programme.

Clearly, some problems are more serious than others. We apply priorities to each defect that we find:

• Make safe within 24 hours
• Repair within 7 days
• Repair within 16 weeks
• Review at 26 weeks, add to next works programme

What is excluded

Many highways were designed with features that would not be acceptable now, such as steps or drainage facilities that could trip people up. These were already in place when the road was adopted so do not count as defects in law and you should take suitable care when using these roads.

Frequency of highway inspections

Our inspectors carry out inspections on foot, by bicycle and in motor vehicles as relevant.