Road damage crackdown

14th August 2009

Motorists who flee the scene after damaging street furniture are being tracked down and forced to pay up.

In the last two years alone, Hertfordshire County Council has raised a huge £1million in fines from errant drivers – a success rate that’s likely to see other authorities following suit. The council used CCTV footage and data from the DVLA to trace the offenders – who included one cabbie forced to pay £1,250 after driving over a roundabout and knocking down signs in the process.

But if the motorist refuses to pay up, Hertfordshire Council says it tries to reclaim the money through the driver’s insurer. Councillor Stuart Pile said: “Maintaining our highways is a costly business, and every year we see a great deal of damage caused by third parties. It’s simply not right that the carelessness of a few drivers should cost all council tax payers money.”

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