In our capacity as Roads Authority, we have a statutory duty to manage and maintain public roads in Fife.
Fife Council’s ‘Road Asset Condition Inspections – Policy & Standards’ (RACIPS) has been developed to provide guidance to officers involved in managing road condition inspections. RACIPS promotes a consistent approach that recommends the frequency of inspections, as well as the method of assessing, recording and responding to road defects.
Our Technical Inspection Team routinely inspects the entire road network at set intervals. If we spot a defect, or if one is reported to us, we categorise it in terms of the risk it presents. Defects include potholes and other surface defects, worn road markings, missing signs, and ponding, for example.
The risk presented by road defects ranges from those that need immediate attention, to those where their location and their nature allow for longer response times. This helps us to direct our repair teams to places where they are needed most urgently.
Risk Categories
These are determined by assessing the likelihood of someone encountering a defect, and the potential consequences if they do. They are as follows:
| Negligible | Minor | Moderate | Major | Severe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remote | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Medium |
| Unlikely | Negligible | Negligible | Low | Low | Medium |
| Possible | Negligible | Low | Low | Medium | High |
| Likely | Negligible | Low | Medium | High | Critical |
| Highly likely | Negligible | Medium | High | Critical | Critical |
Response Targets
This is the maximum time we should take to fix the problem. This is obviously weather dependent:
| Risk | Priority | Response Type | Repair Target (from date of risk assessment) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | 1 | Immediate | Within 24hrs (make safe) |
| High | 2 | Rapid | Within five working days |
| Medium | 3 | Include in Cyclic Works Programme | Within three months |
| Low | 4 | Include in Area or Route Works Programme | Within a rolling 12 months |
| Negligible | 5 | Routine monitoring | Per inspection frequency |
Risk is reassessed regularly in case a defect needs to be recategorized. For example, a low-risk defect might deteriorate to medium risk before it can be repaired, and the response target is then changed accordingly. Other factors can come to light that prompt a reassessment.
More information can be found on our FAQs page.