As many as 32% of motorists have had their car damaged by a pothole, according to report by Citroen published in March 2021. The average repair bill for this type of damage is £141.95, with 11% of drivers having to cough up more than £251 for a pothole-related repair.
It is also reported that 1 in 10 vehicle breakdowns in the UK are as a direct result of coming into contact with a pothole. Over a longer period of time, the issues caused by pothole damage either cost thousands of pounds to put right or they are past the point of repair altogether.
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How are potholes formed?
Along with winter comes the wet weather. Rain is trapped in cracks in the top and sub-layer of the road’s surface. Introduce the colder temperatures and of course, the water freezes and becomes ice. The expansion of water in the freezing process cracks the surface further, making it more likely to develop into a pothole. As ice thaws and refreezes over and over, it further weakens the structure of the road.
Traffic travelling over existing potholes accelerates their growth - large vehicles break down the edges of the pothole, increasing its diameter.
The menace of potholes for UK road users
You may have noticed how many potholes there are on our roads at the moment. In fact, there are more potholes now than ever before – one for every mile of road, according to new research.
There has been a 79% increase in compensation claims for pothole damage and just under 10% of motorists reported some kind of vehicular destruction in the last 12 months because of poor road surfaces. Deep potholes can cause punctures and bend or even break wheels and suspension components. They are particularly dangerous for motorbikes and bicycles.
Peter Box, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Economy and Transport Board, explained that under-funding also contributes to the problem, with 23% of councils only making temporary fixes to potholes rather than resurfacing the road to provide a more robust and long-term solution.
Many of the UK's roads look like "the surface of the moon", the RAC has said, after a record rise in the number of pothole-related breakdowns they have assisted. Some are in a "desperate state", the firm said, and councils may be "patching up potholes rather than fixing them properly". Distorted wheels, broken suspension springs or damaged shock absorbers are some of the typical pothole-related problems the RAC has to deal with.
In the first three months of 2021, they received nearly 5,000 call-outs for vehicles likely damaged by potholes – this is around three times as many as in the last three months of 2020. A spokesman for the Local Government Association, however, defended the efforts of councils, saying that they fixed a pothole every 19 seconds, on average.
A report by trade body the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) said councils in England and Wales would need to spend a total of £10 billion over a decade to bring all their pothole-plagued roads up to scratch.
Poor road surfaces cost drivers and insurance companies around £1m per month. Furthermore, the estimated cost of repair to cars is £1,000.
Why does the UK even have potholes - why aren’t they fixed?
Winter nights in the UK tend to see high rainfall and below-freezing temperatures regularly, which increases the likelihood of potholes forming.
The Annual ALARM report said the UK faces a £13bn road repair bill – up 25% from the previous year. Apparently, UK councils are ‘swamped’ by essential road repairs.
The backlog of necessary carriageway repairs needed to bring UK roads up to standard has reached a staggering £12.64 billion, according to figures published by the AIA.
The survey also said that despite recent increases in highway maintenance budgets, the amount being spent on road resurfacing has fallen. The AIA said this merely addresses the symptoms, but it doesn’t provide the cure.
What drivers can do to mitigate the problem
Despite the authorities’ inadequate attempts to fully address the issue of potholes, drivers can at least take specific measures to avoid the costly damage.
Autologics is a leading manufacturer of retrofit car parts including reverse cameras, parking sensors, trackers and more – which will help you to steer clear of the potholes and other obstacles!
