A concerned dad is “scared stiff” about the danger poor road conditions pose to young drivers.

Herts Advertiser: Darren Kopitko on Smug Oak Lane.Darren Kopitko on Smug Oak Lane. (Image: Archant)

Darren Kopitko, 52, of Mount Pleasant Lane, Bricket Wood, has contacted Herts county council about hazards along the stretch of road outside his home.

The dangers include a missing kerb, uneven surfacing, markings which need repainting and a tree trunk sticking out of the ground, all on Mount Pleasant Lane between Bucknalls Drive and School Lane.

He said: “I am an experienced driver but I have got a son who’s just learning to drive. Any new driver that’s forced into the middle of the road will now have less room.

“There will be a very bad accident down there. It’s absolutely disgraceful to be honest.”

Darren has also contacted St Albans MP Anne Main, but received no response, and feels the council’s highways contractor Ringway has not taken enough action to fix the road.

He said: “It’s a nightmare to try to get anyone to take it seriously. When you express your concern about something being hazardous in the sense that it could cause a fatal accident, they really just don’t care.

“I am scared stiff about when my son starts to drive.”

Darren is also concerned about the white road markings on Smug Oak Lane, which have worn away. “There’s nothing to tell a driver, whether they are experienced or not, that they’re on the right side of the road.

“Cars travel down there at ridiculous speeds. I am disgusted with it. What are they going to do about it?”

Ringway divisional manager Kevin Carrol, on behalf of Herts county council, said: “One of our engineers inspected Mount Pleasant Lane, between Bucknalls Drive and School Lane as well as Smug Oak lane in Bricket Wood last week, following local concerns being raised with their condition.

“The inspection did not identify anything that met with the county council’s guidelines for urgent repair. These guidelines focus repair works on the most dangerous defects as a priority.

“We will continue to monitor the condition of these roads through our routine safety inspection regime.”