Risk of pothole-related breakdowns doubles

The RAC has reported that motorists are now around 2.5 times more likely to suffer pothole-related breakdowns than 12 years ago.

Having attended 14,220 breakdowns in the last year, the RAC says that the ‘overwhelming likelihood’ was that damages were the result of potholes, leaving drivers were damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

The RAC’s Pothole Index – a long-term indicator of the health of the UK’s roads – shows the likelihood of breaking down after hitting a pothole is higher than it was last year, although still not as bad as the worst point in 2010.

David Bizley, chief engineer at the RAC, commented: “There is little doubt local road conditions in many parts of the country are substandard and have been so for quite some time. Data from this quarter’s RAC Pothole Index supports this, showing there has been a steady deterioration in road condition over the last 18 months, with the latest quarter not showing a significant improvement.

“We need a 10-year plan with ring-fenced funding that will eliminate the backlog of preventative maintenance that will stop the plague of potholes appearing every time there is bad weather.”

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