Sharpest quarterly rise in pothole-related breakdowns on record

Despite a national coronavirus lockdown, RAC patrols went to the aid of a staggering 4,694 drivers who had most likely broken down as a result of hitting a pothole in the first three months of 2021.

The equivalent of 52 drivers every day, the latest RAC Breakdown figures highlight the desperate state of UK roads as the rise in recorded as being a three-fold increase from the last quarter of 2020.

According to the organisation, 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 – up from 1.6 per cent during the same period in 2020, and the highest proportion seen since 2017.

When comparing the first quarter of 2021 with the same period of 2020, an incredible 37 per cent more pothole-related breakdowns occurred, a figure made even more stark by the fact the country has spent much of the first quarter in lockdown with lighter than normal traffic volumes on roads.

The RAC says that the findings put into ‘sharp 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.

Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, 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.

“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.

“What is undeniably clear is that all road users, whether on two-wheels or four, are paying the price for a lack of long-term maintenance for roads they use regularly. Pots of funding announced annually may help fill some potholes, but they don’t cure the problem over the long-term by dealing with underlying major surface defects. Nor do they allow local authorities to plan routine maintenance. Figures as bad as the ones we are publishing today should herald a watershed moment where authorities finally acknowledge the perilous state many roads are currently in and take decisive action to bring them up to a reasonable standard.”