The UK’s ongoing headache with potholes

North East Blog 21/07/2017

Most drivers are aware of the ongoing problem the UK has with road potholes. It seems to be an issue that we can’t get rid of – especially if the results of a new report by the RAC is anything to go on.

Alarmingly, the RAC had to deal with 6,500 breakdowns between January and March 2017, according to the organisation’s figures. These breakdowns were likely attributable to poor road surfaces. The last time that so many pothole-related breakdowns were recorded in a three-month period was in the first quarter of 2015 (almost 6,900 breakdowns were recorded then). However, in the early months of 2015, the country was subjected to more days of frost and rainfall when compared to the first three months of 2017, when the nation experienced mild and moderately dry conditions.

David Bizley, a chief engineer at the RAC, commented: “Our figures sadly show a surprising and unwelcome first quarter rise in the number of breakdowns where the poor quality of the road surface was a major factor. We had expected a figure no worse than that recorded in the first quarter of 2016 (4,026) and it is very concerning that the roads, strangely, appear to have deteriorated in a mild, comparatively dry winter.”

As we question just how bad is the UK’s pothole problem, VW service provider Inchcape Volkswagen, who offer thorough after sales services, MOTs and repairs to solve issues such as wheel misalignment and suspension damage, explores…

Pothole hotspots

FillThatHole.org.uk compiled a league table of which locations have the most number of open reports regarding potholes.

Position	Authority	Region	Open reports	Total reports	Fixed reports	Percentage fixed
1	Surrey	South East England	6,473	7,657	1,149	15%
2	Hampshire	South East England	3,241	4,133	849	21%
3	Kent	South East England	3,105	3,479	364	10%
4	Hertfordshire	South East England	3,004	3,557	530	15%
5	Essex	South East England	2,912	3,804	878	23%
6	Lancashire	North West England	2,484	3,301	792	24%
7	Glasgow	Scotland	2,444	3,059	601	20%
8	Buckinghamshire	South East England	2,399	2,754	343	13%
9	Oxfordshire	South East England	2,225	3,245	985	31%
10	Devon	South West England	2,114	2,519	385	15%

Frequency of potholes being filled in

According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey 2017, the average number of potholes filled in 2016/17 per local authority across England was 13,468.

FillThatHole.org.uk has compiled another league table on the top ten authorities ranked on fixed reports. Northumbria in the North East of England ranked at number 7.

Position	Authority	Region	Fixed reports	Total reports	Open reports	Percentage fixed
1	York	Yorkshire & Humber	1,187	1,341	151	89%
2	Surrey	South East England	1,149	7,657	6,473	15%
3	Bristol	South West England	1,094	1,475	199	85%
4	Oxfordshire	South East England	985	3,245	2,225	31%
5	Cheshire West & Chester	North West England	913	1,252	30	97%
6	Essex	South East England	878	3,804	2,912	23%
7	Northumberland	North East England	869	1,123	5	99%
8	Hampshire	South East England	849	4,133	3,241	21%
9	Islington	London	825	985	0	100%
10	Lancashire	North West England	792	3,301	2,484	24%

Number of drivers reporting damage in the past 12 months

There was a total of 343,000 drivers reporting pothole damage in the past 12 months just in the North East of England. However, that is just a fraction of the 941,000 drivers in the South East of England who reported damage.

Average cost to repair pothole damage

In the North East of England, the average cost to repair pothole damage is around £72.66. Again, this is just a fraction of what the average cost to repair pothole damage is in Eastern England and South East of England (£124.93-£163.68).

Structural road condition percentage split in England

Percentage of roads across England in good condition (i.e. they have 15 years or more residual life remaining) — 53 per cent.
Percentage of roads across England in adequate condition (i.e. they have between five and 15 years’ residual life remaining) — 30 per cent.
Percentage of roads across England in poor condition (i.e. they have less than five years’ residual life remaining) — 17 per cent.