Bl**dy pavements!

I live in an area where we have alot of trees that line the streets and unfortunately the tree roots do lift up the pavements and make them very uneven, this is not too bad in the summer evenings where you can see okay but combined with poor street lighting and wet slippy fallen leaves it makes for an interesting run. Just had to slow down a bit where it was particularly dark.

A lot of councils will do something if you contact them. Mine has got a lot better over recent years about this in general and removing dumped cars. Used to be loads around, you don't get them now, or at least they are gone in 2 days.

Have had a couple of pavement trips myself, on one I continued my nine mile run and then wondered why my leg had swelled to double size !! It did get better though.

I think a lot of problems happen when cable companies dig up pavements or new housing developments go up. I reckon the councils should make them relay the pavements once they have finised. Good pavements, no public money !

Councils do have people whose job it is to inspect pavements, etc., and there are (I think) various standards which are set, defining if a defect is a dangerous defect. What are affectionately known as 'trippers and slippers' are big business. Just ask any of those firms that advertise on day-time TV ("Have you had an accident that wasn't your fault?, etc.,).

Yes there are standards but they are relatively low when it comes to street lighting. No LA (local authority) in London (given that this is where the incident took place) will spend the money to replace its street lights in order to make the side streets safer. Pedestrianised shopping areas (such as Oxford or Regent St) will have excellent lighting, residential areas won't.

In terms of street lighting, the only thing that LAs will look at is the crime issue - well-lit streets help to discourage crime. Added to which for residential areas is the NIMBY problem - residents don't want the street lights to be too bright to stop them from sleeping.

In terms of the paving then yes the LA has some responsibility but as Brooks said, it probably wasnt't them who damaged it. If the damage was reported & they didn't fix it then you can sort of blame them, although I'd be happier to blame the company who damaged the paving. However, you can't expect LA staff to regularly check all the pavements across their borough and council tax payers won't pay for it.

I don't usually run in the dark so I am talking about hazards during the day. The overgrown path that I run down is along the coast around the edge of a golf course. The council cannot decide who's responsibility is it. If it's on public land then the local council is responsible, if it is private land then the golf course is responsible, if it is classified as a sea wall then it comes out of the sea defence budget.

I have asked my local councillor to look into it and get it sorted and although he is getting further than me it has taken him all summer and now it is dying back naturally anyway.

I always run on the road. It's just too much hassle going up & down kerbs - really breaks the rhythmn. Plus the pavements are always more uneven & badly lit, so it seems safer to run in the road. I make sure I wear fluorescent & reflective stuff. I'm lucky though as I live in a fairly small market town so the roads aren't too busy most of the time.