Sorry the guys are right ...
You cannot compare a pothole to a roundabout, and I don't think you have an excuse in either case, the rules state that you must drive at a speed that you can stop or divert should an unexpected hazard come into view, hence the teachings behind the new hazard perception test.
People often state that like in this case, when they hit something on a blind corner it was not their fault, like my brother almost did, but you cannot blame it on the obstruction, as correctly stated you must drive for the length of road you can see with your own eyes and not for the length of road you think is there.
Also roundabouts are usually almost always in front of you, with signage on the road to also tell you, and there may very well be a triangle on the road indicating a give way junction, there is never just the 1 sign.
Councils are not responsible if you fail to slow down for a pothole or any other obstruction, it is your responsibility, to see any obstruction in good time and either divert, or slow down enough to go slowly over the obstruction.
But car drivers are a funny breed, I find ( sorry for those that are not ) My friend managed to b***** up both tires going over a pothole, he live in the country and we all know how bad these lanes can be so extra care must be taken, anyway, he claimed he was not able to see it in time to slow down, so I said it must have been a sizeable hole to do such damage, he admitted it was but insisted he could not slow down and the reason he gave was because there was a car behind him.
What actually happened was he just didnt ee it until it was too late, and that would suggest he was not paying enough due care and attention at that time for the road he was on, and that is really the point, you have to drive to the conditions of both the road you are on and other elements that may affect your ability to see and to stop at whats that phrase as old fashioned as it may be it still applies, oh yes OVERALL STOPPING DISTANCE.
Finally one other element that most car drivers dont think of, fog it makes your brakes wet and increases your stopping distance, yet how many slow down sooner, after the fog has lifted even though it may still be damp in the air.
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