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Early July pothole breakdown count indicates little
let-up in number of victims
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Holiday drivers flocking to lower-priority country
roads thought to be biggest threat
Pothole incidents in June have been at their worst for five
years, the AA Pothole Tracker reveals.
Although councils have made great strides in repairing main roads
and those in built-up areas, the fear is that cars on holiday
trips are now encountering the rural plague of potholes on roads
with a lower repair priority.
In June, the AA rescued 46,650 vehicles with damage related to
pothole incidents. Tracking back to June 2018 reveals a higher
toll of 49,273, and above 50,000 in June 2017.
Ominously, while pothole breakdowns in June averaged 1,555 per
day, the first five days of July averaged 1,599 for each.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “Having just taken part in a
1200-mile journey as part of the EV Rally that took us through
the five capital cities of the UK and Ireland, the road surfaces
in Northern and Republic of Ireland were considerably less
potholed than those that we experienced in mainland Britain,
including rural roads, of which there are many in Ireland.
Pothole incidents on rural roads that draw large numbers of
holidaymakers can be a nightmare for everyone – the travellers as
well as the roadside rescue organisations. Not only is the damage
costly to the vehicle owners, but the repairs are seldom simple
to fix and, sometimes being off the beaten track, they take time
to sort out – particularly with so many cars no longer carrying a
spare tyre.
“Holiday drivers need to keep their eyes peeled for potholes and
other damage on country roads, which is not easy if rain creates
surface water that hides the big ones. These conditions also make
riding much more treacherous for those on two wheels where the
consequences can be fatal.
“It would be helpful to all if travellers and local residents who
spot nasty holes in the road reported them to county councils via
the local authorities’ websites, where the ability to report road
damage as usual. Failing that, online reporting sites such as
www.fixmystreet.com are
useful.
