The latest data has revealed that local authorities across the UK are still dealing with a backlog of more than 38,000 pothole repairs.
As anyone who drives will know, potholes are a constant issue on our roads, whether it’s motorways, A-roads, B-roads or residential roads and streets.
The news comes despite the government allocating £1.6 billion in pothole repair funds to local authorities, which is a 50% increase on the previous year’s budget.
With pothole-related breakdowns and claims increasing year-on-year, it’s clear that it’s a road safety issue that’s not going away any time soon.
Potholes And Road Safety
Winter causes more pothole problems than any other time of year as freezing temperatures mean that water enters cracks and existing potholes before expanding and making the issue worse.
As we head towards Spring and (hopefully) warmer temperatures, the risk of new potholes occurring should decrease. But existing potholes and uneven road surfaces can still worsen with traffic continuingly driving over it and weakening the surface.
Potholes aren’t a new issue, though. But the cost and time taken to deal with repairs can lead to more issues in the long-run, which is something we’re seeing right now.
But with potholes causing the economy billions every year in claims and lost time due to vehicle’s being out of action, the government is keenly aware of the problem.
Temporary repairs are one thing that some experts believe have exacerbated the issue, with local authorities on tight budgets keen to meet targets deploying temporary fixes.
All local authorities have pothole repair targets, which usually means having them repaired within 28 days of them being reported.
The reality, though, is that most struggle to meet that and often it’s months or years before they’re remedied – and if not, councils will look to temporary fixes to ease the issue in the short-term.
They do that by filling in the hole with a cold-applied material that’s used as a stopgap until a proper repair is carried out.
The Long-Term Pothole Plan
Many road safety experts are now calling for a more joined-up long-term plan to tackle potholes across UK roads.
The issue is that the backlog has become so large that it’s difficult for local authorities to catch-up before any long-term plan is implemented.
Currently, experts believe it will take more than 5 years at the current rate to clear the road repair backlog, given the way that funds are allocated to local authorities and the level of staffing they have.
Do you think more needs to be done to tackle potholes and road improvement (and repair) work across the country? Let us know in the comments below…
