Pothole-related breakdowns on the increase, says RAC

Britain’s ‘sub-standard’ roads are leaving drivers feeling ripped off by the authorities, the RAC has said.

New data from the recovery service showed that despite motorists contributing £40 billion a year in tax, the number of breakdowns caused potholes rose by more than 10 percent in the final few months of 2017.

The RAC’s roadside patrols were called out on 2,830 occasions between October and December 2017 to fix damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels, which the organisation says are ‘likely due to poor-quality road surfaces’.

That figure represents an 11 percent increase on the 2,547 pothole-related breakdowns recorded during the final three months of 2016.

According to the organisation, the proportion of breakdowns involving pothole damage has been steadily increasing since 2015 and now stands at a record high, but at 1.2 percent, potholes still cause a relatively small number of breakdowns.

RAC chief engineer David Bizley said: ‘For the majority of drivers, these latest statistics are likely to be met with concern. Potholes are a menace for drivers and indeed for all road users. They represent a serious road safety risk and anyone who has driven into one will know it can be a frightening experience, not to mention a potentially costly one – distorted wheels, broken springs and shock absorbers can be very expensive problems to put right. And for those on two wheels it can be genuinely life-threatening.

‘We want to see local authorities given the certainty of ring-fenced, long-term funding from central government sufficient to enable local authorities to bring all of the UK’s roads up to a standard that is fit for purpose. Drivers contribute around £40bn of motoring based taxation a year and many will feel that they are having to endure roads that are substandard and therefore getting poor value for money.’