Wet weather during August has been blamed on a big surge in pothole-related vehicle breakdowns as surface water ‘hid highway defects’ from drivers, says the AA.
The breakdown assistance provider attended 48,994 callouts last month to vehicles stranded due to faults believed to have been caused by potholes.
That’s 13 per cent more than in August 2022 and means 2023 is on track to be one of the worst years on record for pothole-related breakdowns.
The AA’s report comes in the wake of news that local road maintenance in England has hit a four-year low, with local authorities rolling back spending on resurfacing in the previous financial year.
Councils in a ‘race against time’ to fix pothole-riddled roads: The AA says authorities have little time left to fix cratered roads before the autumnal weather sets in
The AA says the most common problems caused by potholes in August include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
Parts of the UK were hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms last month, which has exacerbated the problem with Britain’s crater-riddled streets.
The motoring group says local councils now face a ‘race against time’ to repair as many as possible before the autumnal weather reaches Britain.
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Roads authorities lost numerous repair days this summer due to the wetter conditions, and are now keeping their fingers crossed for a dry spell to make up for lost time.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: ‘During what felt like a continuous spell of rain throughout August, drivers faced the now familiar challenge of trying to spot potholes lurking beneath the surface of rainwater.
‘Some drivers’ attempts to avoid damage to tyres, suspensions and steering mechanisms appear to have been in vain as we witnessed another year-on-year increase in pothole-related incidents.
‘Councils now have a very small window of time to get as much of their repair work carried out as possible before the real autumn and winter weather hits, meaning their road teams will need to work flat out to restore the roads before the weather really turns against them.’
The AA’s Pothole Index data shows a 13% rise in pothole-related callouts last month compared to August 2022
The motoring group said heavy spells of rainfall in August had ‘hidden’ potholes from drivers, who unwittingly drove through what they thought were shallow puddles
A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘It’s for local authorities to maintain their highways, based on local needs and priorities, and Government is helping by investing over £5 billion to resurface roads – including an additional £200million specifically for highway maintenance.
READ MORE: Road maintenance in England hits four-year low – and damage caused to vehicles costs drivers an average of £922 to fix
‘We’ve also brought in new rules to clamp down on utility companies leaving potholes behind after carrying out street works.’
The AA’s report comes just days after it was revealed that just 1,123 miles of roads were resurfaced in the 2021/22 financial year, down 29 per cent compared with four years earlier (1,588 miles).
The RAC, after analysing government data on road repairs, said the figures ‘confirm worst fears about the overall decline in the state of the country’s roads’ and many councils are ‘barely scratching the surface’ when it comes to getting their roads up to a reasonable standard.
Of the 153 roads authorities reviewed, 31 per cent conducted no road resurfacing while 51 per cent failed to carry out any ‘surface dressing’ – the term used for smaller repairs to sections of local roads.
In a separate report released last week, Halfords said poorly maintained roads have had repercussions for almost half of drivers it polled who said their vehicle has been damaged as a result – and it costs them an average of £922 to fix.
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These maps show the proportion of council-controlled local roads that have been surface dressed in 2021/22 after the RAC revealed that road maintenance in England had hit a four-year low
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