RAC report uncovers 'desperate state' of UK roads

Despite a national coronavirus lockdown, RAC patrols went to the aid of 4694 drivers who had most likely broken down as a result of hitting a pothole in the first three months of 2021, new RAC data shows.

This represents a three-fold increase in the number of pothole-related breakdowns from the last quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021 (up 3233 from 1461 in Q4 2020) and is the largest rise between quarters the RAC has ever seen.

In total, 2.4 per cent of all call-outs attended by RAC patrols between January and March were for broken suspension springs, distorted wheels and damaged shock absorbers — the classic symptoms of a driver having hit a pothole.

The numbers highlight the parlous state of many roads, which have been ravaged by the colder winter weather that affected much of the UK between January and March. They also put into focus the enormous task now facing local and national governments to bring road surface standards up to a reasonable level.

Despite promises of more money from central Government, the RAC believes many councils remain stuck in a vicious cycle — unable to properly repair the hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of roads they are responsible for.

The RAC Pothole Index, a long-term measure of the condition of roads, also increased in the first quarter of 2021 for the first time since early 2018. This suggests that road quality is now in a declining state and means drivers are nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to breakdown as a result of hitting potholes today than they were when the RAC first started collecting the data in 2006.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “These figures highlight what is a genuinely ‘uncomfortable truth’ for both road users as well as local and national governments – that in many cases, the condition of many roads is now in a desperate state. Put simply, we’ve just had the largest quarterly rise in the number of pothole-related breakdowns on record. And the problem risks getting even worse as pandemic restrictions are eased and the roads get busier.

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“In some ways, the quieter roads brought about by national lockdowns could have been an ideal time for councils to start to fix problem road surfaces ready for the arrival of more traffic as restrictions are eased. Sadly, our data suggests this may not have been the case and may also suggest many councils are still simply patching up potholes rather than fixing them properly.

“The RAC has long campaigned for national government to recognise the vital role local roads play and ring-fence some funds over a five-year period to give councils the resources they need to plan and deliver longer-term road maintenance.

"Yet as we can see, a slightly colder than average winter leads to some roads ending up in an appalling condition with local authorities seemingly stuck in a vicious cycle where they are never able to get the roads they are responsible for up to a reasonable standard. We appeal to the Transport Secretary and the Treasury to take a fresh look at roads funding given the data we are publishing today."