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Drivers still more likely to break down as a
result of a poor-quality road today than in 2006
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On average RAC patrols attend one pothole-related
breakdown every hour
The RAC’s orange patrols attended more
than 2,000 breakdowns that are likely to be attributed
to potholes in
the three months to the end of 2019 – 300 more than during the
same period in 2018, new analysis of RAC breakdown data released
to coincide with National Pothole Day has
showed.
Of all the breakdowns experienced by the
RAC’s individual members in 2019, just short of 9,200 were for
pothole-related faults such as distorted wheels, broken
suspensions springs and damaged shock
absorbers.
While this was down from 13,000 in 2018,
a year which saw a dramatic increase in potholes following the
so-called ‘Beast from the East’, it still represented 1.1% of all
breakdowns attended. Between October and December 2019, 0.9% of
all breakdowns were for pothole-related faults, up from 0.8% in
the previous three months (July to September 2019) and up from
0.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018.
The RAC’s Pothole Index, which is an
accurate long-term indicator of the health of the UK’s roads,
suggests the widespread problem of potholes and poor-quality
roads remains as the Index currently
stands at 1.7, down from 1.8 in the third quarter of 2019. This
means drivers are 1.7 times more likely to break down as a result
of pothole-related damage than they were back in 2006 when the
RAC first started collecting data.
Despite the relatively mild winter
experienced in the UK so far, the RAC is concerned that the
inevitable arrival of colder conditions in the next few months
will likely trigger a widespread outbreak of yet more potholes,
causing expensive damage to thousands of drivers’ vehicles and
creating new road safety hazards.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes
said: “We might so far be experiencing a milder but wetter winter
than in the last couple of years, but our figures clearly show
the problem of potholes has not gone away. Our patrols are still
attending on average around one pothole-related breakdown every
hour of the day.
“We anticipate the Government will pledge
further funds to help cash-strapped councils mend potholes in the
March Budget, but such pledges are only chipping away at the
problem, and they’re unfortunately not addressing the root cause
of why so much of the UK is still characterised by crumbling road
surfaces.
“What we need is for central Government
to think differently about how councils are funded to maintain
the roads under their control. Short-term commitments of cash,
while welcome, are not enough on their own – councils need the
security of long-term funding so they can plan proper
preventative road maintenance.
“A solution to the UK’s long-term pothole
problem is possible. From this year, the money raised from
vehicle excise duty in England will be ring-fenced to help fund
motorways and major A-roads over successive five-year periods.
But as yet, there is no similar model for local roads where the
vast majority of drivers begin and end their journeys. We believe
this could easily be changed by ring-fencing 2p a litre from
existing fuel duty revenue to generate £4.7bn of additional
funding over five years.
“Pothole-free roads shouldn’t be a ‘nice
to have’ in 2020, drivers should surely be able to expect the
vast majority of roads they drive on to be of a good standard,
especially given they pay around £40bn in motoring-related tax
every year.”
To report a pothole, or to find out
if you suffer from damage from one and wonder if you can claim
for compensation,
visit the
RAC’s pothole online
guide.
For an interactive, embeddable version of
this chart visit
the RAC Media
Centre or
contact the press office.
Ends
Notes to
Editors
* The RAC Pothole Index is a 12-month
rolling measure of the share of pothole fault breakdowns compared
to 2006, corrected for seasonal weather effects and improving
longer term vehicle reliability Data has been collected by the
RAC since 2006. Data excludes
punctures.
