Pothole Mahem

UK roads are in a sorrowful state, due to the increasing amount breakdowns caused by potholes.

The government announced in October 23 that they would put forward £8.3bn of extra funding, spread over the next 11 years to fix the pesky potholes.

Britain’s ‘pothole plague’ took even more of a toll on drivers in 2023 as RAC patrols attended nearly 30,000 pothole-related breakdowns over the course of the year, up by 33% compared to 2022.

The RAC attended 7,904 breakdowns in the first quarter of 2024 due to bad road surfaces, up 53% on the last three months of 2023, a clear sign that the UK is suffering a pothole epidemic as roads continue to crumble

The consequence for colliding with a pothole can include, sidewall bulges, tread separation or a puncture. The impact can also cause damage to the vehicles suspension which have a knock on affect causing the vital elements such as shock absorbers, springs and ball joints leading to poorer handling and uneven tyre wear.

Potholes are created from roads cracking which comes from multiple causes such as age, poor drainage and utility works amongst other things.

The cold weather and rain exasperates the size of the potholes, Any cracks can fill with water which then freezes and the ice expands. This causes more damage to the surface, and larger cavities, then potholes as vehicles drive over the damage. Water logging or fast-flowing streams that appear after heavy rain do not help either. The water infiltrates the road structure.

The cost of rectifying pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales has been estimated at £16.3bn.

You may report potholes here : https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole