Roads across the UK are in a worse state now than they were in 2006, according to reports from the RAC. Research into the statistical amount of pothole related calls has been recorded by them over the last 10 years.
The research is solid proof of a deteriorating road network which has got worse over the past 10 years. It was reported that there has been a huge increase in car malfunctions due to poor road surfaces contributing as a factor.
In 2006, pothole linked breakdowns came to an average of 0.4% of RAC call outs. In 2016 this number has increased to 0.9%, meaning callouts due to potholes has increased by just over 40% for the RAC in the past 10 years.
While the highest on RAC records was at 1.6% in 2009, many are still concerned that the Government hasn’t done enough on UK roads to resolve this issues many drivers face with potholes.
The RAC dealt with 753,000 breakdowns the first quarter of 2009, a troubling 12,000 of those breakdowns were pothole related. David Bizley, chief engineer of the RAC stated: “Local roads across the UK are not fit for purpose.
The Government has announced plans to create a Roads Fund by ring-fencing vehicle excise duty to fund future development and maintenance of major roads.
“However, the majority of the damage our members have suffered has been when using local roads. It is clear that the effects of insufficient investment over much of the last decade are going to take some considerable time to rectify. Most journeys start or finish on local roads even if the bulk of the mileage is on the strategic road network, or by rail, sea or air. Without local roads that are fit for purpose, the benefits of the Government’s bold investment in national transport infrastructure may never be fully realised.”
The UK road network is crumbling.
Local roads are used by HGV drivers in many cases to deliver pallets to retailers across the UK. Potholes can make journeys more hazardous, especially on smaller roads with parked vehicles around. It is vital these roads are kept up to scratch for health and safety, but the government have not yet given local roads the same treatment as motorways which had a positive impact on the amount of callouts the RAC received due to potholes
Bizley also said the RAC want to see local roads given the same treatment motorways and should be treated as a strategic asset. Many insurance companies won’t cover for compensation if the vehicle driven was damaged by potholes and many claims from local authority are overruled if the pothole has never been mentioned to the council, who state they cannot be held accountable for defects they are not aware of.