Tag: damage to cars

Pothole-related breakdowns up after rainy July

New data from the AA has revealed that it received over 50,000 call outs for pothole related breakdowns in July, the highest number in five years.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar comments; “With more and more callouts for breakdowns likely caused by defective roads, many drivers and cars are at risk of damage from potholes.

“Our research showed that over half of drivers (54%) have had their car damaged as a result of potholes, with 40% actively avoiding routes that they know are prone to them.

“If drivers think that their tyres have burst or their car has broken down, they should try to pull over somewhere safe to avoid obstructing other road users.

Using hazard lights and if necessary a warning triangle will also help to ensure you are visible to other drivers.

“Breaking down can be a stressful and potentially dangerous experience, so it’s important to know the steps to take to keep you and your passengers safe.

“Using our tips for breakdown, drivers can find out the correct steps to take depending on which type of road they are on should their car break down.”

Government urged to take action on the UK’s worsening pothole problem 

Drivers are being warned about the worsening condition of roads across the UK, following news pothole-related breakdowns are at a five-year high.  

Experts from leading price comparison website Quotezone.co.uk are calling on the government and local councils to not let the pothole problem get even worse.

After one of the wettest months of July on record, the road’s potholes are filled with water and not visible to motorists, causing a record number of pothole-related breakdowns.

Motorists will run an increased risk of damaging vehicles by driving over potholes if UK roads are not properly maintained. 

Spending on road maintenance has almost halved since the financial crisis just over a decade ago, and the recent cost of living crisis has further reduced potholes on the priority list. 

Even temporary pothole fixtures – which involves filling the hole with a form of asphalt treatment – have also decreased by almost half in some counties. 

Credit: Shutterstock

There are also claims from members of the public that councils are not properly inspecting potholes that have been reported online. 

Several county councils have admitted that filling in potholes is no longer a priority as a result of the rising cost of living, with less funding for UK highways. 

And with an expected bad weather spell to last well into the New Year with rising levels of snow, ice and rain – it will no doubt make potholes even worse. 

With a combination of bad weather and lack of funding, the UK is likely sitting on a disaster waiting to happen and the pothole problem may soon get out of hand. 

Quotezone.co.uk are calling for councils and the government to urgently act on what is a UK wide problem.

Data shows that the worst pothole affected area in the UK is by far Northumberland with over 180,000 potholes reported over four years, followed by Cornwall and Kirklees in West Yorkshire. 

Newcastle, Liverpool and Suffolk also have some of the worst potholed roads in the UK as well as Fife and Glasgow in Scotland, and Newry, Mourne & Down joined by Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon in Northern Ireland. 

Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk said: “We all know how bad it can be to drive down roads which are full of potholes, and unfortunately the problem does not seem to be going away.

“Most, of us have had damage caused by a pothole, or know someone that has. We are expecting a winter of extreme weather and with spending on road maintenance on the decline, we could expect to see a significant increase in pothole related claims.

“This will make UK roads more dangerous for all road users, and that’s why we’re calling on local authorities and the government to act now ahead of the worsening weather and make a start on fixing the UK’s pothole problem.”

Quotezone.co.uk helps thousands of road users each year find savings on everyday household bills and essentials such as car insurance, van insurance and motorbike insurance. 

RAC attends highest number of pothole-related breakdowns since 2018

The poor condition of Britain’s local roads is laid bare by new figures from the RAC which show its patrols went out to more than 8,100 pothole breakdowns between April and June 2023 – the highest number in five years.

Since the start of 2023, the RAC has dealt with 18,250 breakdowns for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels – the call-outs which are most likely caused by defective road surfaces. 

The 8,100 pothole-related breakdowns recorded in Q2 is the highest the RAC has since the ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap plunged much of the UK into a deep freeze with heavy snowfall five years ago.

The figures show that 27,250 breakdowns occurred in the 12 months up to 30 June 2023 where vehicles had been damaged by a pothole, compared to 22,800 over the same period in 2022 – 20% increase more than last year (4,550 more breakdowns).

The RAC Pothole Index, which tracks pothole call-outs since 2006 seasonally adjusted for weather, reveals drivers are now over 1.6 times more likely to break down due to the repeated wear caused by potholes than they were 17 years ago.

This does not include punctures as other factors such as nails and screws may also be to blame. However, the number of punctured tyres RAC patrols went out to in the second quarter of 2023 (101,200) was 13% higher than the previous year (89,600), indicating that poor road surfaces may well have played a part.

A Freedom of Information request made by the RAC* also reveals councils have forked out more than £11m over the last four years to drivers who successfully claimed their vehicles had been damaged by potholes.

Data provided by the 172 councils (of the 208 across the UK with responsibility for highways) that responded shows £2.41m was paid to drivers in 2020/21, £2.71m in 2019/20 and £3.61m in 2018/19 – meaning the collective compensation paid by these councils fell by a third (33%) from 2018/19 to 2021/22.

The RAC also asked councils to detail how much they spend on maintaining their roads over the same three years. The findings show that, among the councils that supplied data, almost £1bn** was allocated with a further £3.5bn*** spent on carriageway resurfacing.

Interestingly, the amount councils spent on routine maintenance per year rose by 17% between 2018/19 (£237m) and 2021/22 (£277m)**, though the effect of inflation on material and labour costs may well mean this increase have drastically improved road quality. Meanwhile, the amount spent on planned resurfacing went up by 9% between 2018/19 (£851m) and 2021/22 (£928m)***.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar comments; ““With more and more callouts for breakdowns likely caused by defective roads, many drivers and cars are at risk of damage from potholes. Our research showed that over half of drivers (54%) have had their car damaged as a result of potholes, with 40% actively avoiding routes that they know are prone to them.

“If drivers think that their tyres have burst or their car has broken down, they should try to pull over somewhere safe to avoid obstructing other road users. Using hazard lights and if necessary a warning triangle will also help to ensure you are visible to other drivers.

“Breaking down can be a stressful and potentially dangerous experience, so it’s important to know the steps to take to keep you and your passengers safe. Using our tips for breakdown, drivers can find out the correct steps to take depending on which type of road they are on should their car break down.”