Potholes are arguably the biggest menace on roads today. The problem is so bad that the AA is calling for pothole avoidance to be included in the driving test.

The authority thinks that poor road surfaces should be included in the hazard perception part of the theory test, and that how to cope with them should be put into the Highway Code.

One in five roads in England and Wales are in a poor condition according to Asphalt Industry Alliance, with councils facing huge budget shortfalls preventing them from repairing the roads.

The survey found that some had even had to stop driving lessons due to pothole-related damage, while many have had to alter lessons to work round them. What’s more, some have even had to abandon their practical driving tests due to car damage from potholes according to the AA. More realistic driving tests were introduced last year and a result, the pass rate of the practical driving test fell to a nine-year low of 45%, but potholes still aren’t a predetermined factor in either the theory or practical driving tests.

‘It is a sad indictment of our poor road conditions that instructors are having to adapt their lessons to avoid potholed roads,’ said AA president Edmund King. ‘More troubling is the fact that lessons and tests are being abandoned because of pothole related breakdowns.’

‘This is damaging to learners’ confidence and to instructors; whose livelihoods depend on having a fit-for-purpose road network and an undamaged car,” he added. ‘The situation is so serious that the hazard perception test and Highway Code need to change to reflect the state of the roads that learner drivers have to learn on.’

‘There is no advice for drivers about potholes anywhere in the Highway Code yet it is one of the most common hazards they encounter.’

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