AN OAKLEY dad whose car spun into a barrier on the A92 has been told that he could be sent a repair bill for the damage.

Paddy Cooney, 35, was driving towards Kirkcaldy in November last year with his wife and two young children when the rear of his car slid out and hit off the barrier at the Crossgates slip road, causing the car to spin.

Luckily, the family escaped uninjured but with damage costing £4,000 to the car, Paddy put in a claim to BEAR Scotland as he believed the road surface had no grip. However, not only is the roads operator refusing to pay out, it’s also saying that Paddy should be the one paying for damaging the barrier.

“I’ve spoken to other people who have had accidents there and my mechanic said the road is well known for it,” said Paddy, a bus driver who says he never had a crash in his life before.

“It’s the road surface, there’s no grip on the road whatsoever, especially for rear-wheel drives, and it really is a hazard.

“The back of the car just spun out and ricocheted off the barrier. I had my three-year-old and seven-month-old children in the car. My three-year-old has flashbacks and every time we get out the car now she says: ‘We’ve made it!’ I had to take two or three weeks off work because I was on painkillers and couldn’t drive buses on them.

“It’s just as well no other cars were involved and the main thing is my kids and wife are all right.”

A few weeks after the incident, BEAR began works on the slip road.

“They took it down to one lane, put signs up saying it’s a slippery surface and a 40mph speed limit, and put a temporary crash barrier up,” said Paddy.

“It’s frustrating, especially when it has happened to a number of drivers. I’d understand if it was just me, but it’s not. I don’t know how they can bill me for a barrier that others have hit too."

A spokesperson for BEAR Scotland said: “We are aware of the recent issues at Crossgates and have placed temporary traffic management at this location while investigations continue to determine the cause. While we cannot provide comment on individual cases, drivers may at times be liable for costs when apparatus such as barriers are damaged as a result of an incident.

“On receipt of damages claims, BEAR Scotland complete an investigation into all the circumstances surrounding incidents to ensure that all factors are fully considered.”