A driving instructor who crashed into a tree after hitting a large pot hole is concerned about the impact the smash has had on his two young children.


Leo Rice, from Lisnaskea, was driving his son Conor (12) to football training in Donagh on Monday evening and was accompanied by his youngest son James (four).


“We took a back road and it was dark and wet. I thought I could see surface water but I realised it was a pot hole. I went to turn away from it but I clipped the pothole and hit a tree,” said Mr. Rice.
“James was screaming but Conor was very quiet. The air bags came out and there was white smoke. Conor thought the car was going on fire and he just wanted out. Ever since the smash James has been saying: ‘Mammy and daddy drive slow’ and he won’t wear the clothes he was wearing last night because he must be so traumatised from it.”


A driving instructor for 20 years, Mr. Rice has hit out at the increasingly bad condition of Fermanagh’s roads.
“If there had been no pot hole I wouldn’t have had to swerve. I measured it – it’s 1.4 metres long, half a metre wide and 15 centimetres deep .
“It could have been worse, at least we are walking away alive; we are the walking wounded but my wife was very glad to see us coming through that door.”


Mr. Rice continued: “I’ve heard it be said that it is now cheaper for the government to pay out compensation than to fix the pot holes. The roads have got into a terrible state of disrepair. Everything is being let go. The ramps don’t even have a white line around in certain Enniskillen estates.”
Mr. Rice’s Toyota Auris was written off, meaning his livelihood is affected until he gets a replacement car. “I had a driving test this week. I have pupils waiting. You have to plan ahead in this business; it’s the hassle and the cost of it all,” he said.


In May 2015 members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council expressed their shock and dismay over the a £30 million cut to Transport NI’s budget which means that pot hole repairs will be restricted to the most dangerous pot holes on roads with a traffic volume of at least 500 vehicles per day. Pot holes must be more than 20mm in depth. Rural roads carrying less than 500 vehicles per day will not have pot holes repaired unless the pot hole is considered an emergency repair situation where major road safety is a concern.