Drivers experienced the most pothole-related breakdowns in the month of September since 2018, a motor service company reveals.
The AA’s figures found the number of accidents due to the issue was 10% higher than the same time last year.
As wet conditions prevented maintenance work to be done, AA repair vehicles attended 47,223 incidents due to potholes, contributing to a total of 458,391 in 2023. That’s an average of 50,992 per month.
If this trend continues, 2023 is on target to exceed 2019’s total (550,876) – first predicted by the breakdown company earlier this year.
Despite warm weather kicking off September, wetter conditions in the second half of the month meant councils were unable to spend the Government’s £700m fund to fix pothole-damaged roads.
Meanwhile, as well as drivers shelling out on repairs for their vehicles, there is serious concern for motorcyclists’ safety as they attempt to ride on dangerous dips on the road.
‘There can be a cost of lives for those on two wheels’
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “After a dry start to the month and the hope that our roads would receive some much-needed extra pot-hole maintenance, drivers faced the now familiar challenge of trying to spot potholes lurking beneath the surface of rainwater.
“With family budgets stretched, thousands of drivers have yet again found themselves needing to find extra funds to repair the damage to their car’s tyres, wheels, or suspension components.
“The trend of pothole-related breakdowns continues to head in the wrong direction and 2023 still looks to be one of the worst years on record for pothole damage, again highlighting the need for more investment in local roads maintenance funding stronger than ever.”
Cousens added: “We know that longer term funding has been pledged from HS2 savings but the Chancellor has the opportunity to give some short-term pothole relief by announcing more cash for roads in his Autumn Statement. There is a financial cost to vehicles damaged by potholes but there can be a cost in lives for those on two wheels damaged by potholes.”
Number of pothole incidents since September 2018
Source (The AA)
