You frequently mention the state of the roads, suing the council for damage to vehicles etc. where negligence can be proven that they knew of a pothole and did nothing to repair it. I have a story perhaps you would be keen to hear about? It was when I was driving in Venezuela on the Pan American road No.10 north from Brazil through Cuidad Guayana. This is a fast road, but periodically, a hole the size of a Smart car would appear, forcing oncoming traffic to cross completely to the opposite side yards in front of you - quite bewildering, especially at night. Well, doubtless for all the wrong reasons, groups of men had the idea to set themselves up around such a hole in the road. With a few cones, one man on a stop/go board, another leaning on a shovel next to a pile of cement bags near the hole and a third holding a bucket they slowed the traffic, collecting cash from the passing vehicles, their drivers pleased to see action to repair the highway. Whether the men ever repaired the hole who would know? The road was so long few would travel back the same day to find out.