RHA calls for more roads investment needed to fix mountain of potholes

The RHA has urged the government to invest in the roads and increase their effectiveness after the RAC said it was dealing with record numbers of pothole related breakdowns. The motoring organisation said damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels were the main reasons for rescuing 5,978 drivers between July and September this [...]

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The RHA has urged the government to invest in the roads and increase their effectiveness after the RAC said it was dealing with record numbers of pothole related breakdowns.

The motoring organisation said damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels were the main reasons for rescuing 5,978 drivers between July and September this year.

This was 580 more than the previous third quarter high recorded in 2013 and 1,893 more than the same period in 2022.

However, even this record figure paled against the RAC’s busiest ever quarter in the first three months of 2021, when 14,827 drivers broke down on the roads.

The latest figures have meant the organisation's pothole index, which tracks the probability of drivers suffering a pothole-related breakdown, has now increased to 1.7, meaning drivers are nearly twice as likely to break down due to the repeated wear caused by potholes than they were 17 years ago.

Responding to the results, RHA policy advisor James Barwise said: “It’s absolutely vital that we have the right investment in our roads to maximise their efficiency and make them work best for all road users. Better maintained roads not only reduce congestion but harmful emissions too.”

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said its analysis exposed the sub-standard state of the country’s local roads: “Fortunately, the government has promised £8.3bn for local highways authorities which should give them the certainty of funding they need to be able to plan longer term road maintenance work,” he added. “We very much look forward to finding out exactly how the money will be allocated.”

In August, the transport select committee told the government to prioritise day-to-day road maintenance over new road building schemes, after hearing evidence that the majority of road users favoured the network being in a safe condition.

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