Car breakdowns from potholes reach five-year high as drivers face 'biggest ever repair backlog'
Pothole-related breakdowns are at a five-year high
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Drivers are dealing with the highest number of pothole-related breakdowns in five years, with numbers jumping by nearly one-fifth compared to last year.
New data from the AA has found that the motoring organisation had received 50,079 callouts to vehicles that were stranded due to faults from potholes in July.
This was a massive rise compared to last year with a rise of almost 10,000 breakdowns, with 41,790 breakdowns in July 2022.
Last month also saw the highest number of pothole-related breakdowns for a one-month period since 2018.
Drivers are seeing their cars damaged by potholes at an alarming rate
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The most common issues associated with potholes damage vehicles include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels.
Many are pointing to the wet weather seen last month, with the UK seeing the sixth wettest July on record.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “July’s rainfall caused more headaches for drivers with tyres, suspensions and steering mechanisms all being damaged as the rain and puddles hid the potholes lurking underneath.
“Councils would’ve been hoping for a dry summer so they could get as much repair work carried out before the real autumn and winter weather hits.
“They will now be under more pressure to get their planned works completed before the weather really turns against them.”
Mr Cousens also called for more funding to help protect drivers from damage stemming from potholes and dangerous local roads.
The Government’s 2023 Budget saw a £200million boost for local authorities to repair potholes and improve roads.
It is expected that the increased funding to the Pothole Fund would help fix the equivalent of four million additional potholes.
Jack Cousens also warned of the dangers facing cyclists and motorbike riders on poor-quality roads, which could lead to fatal accidents.
Estimates have shown that it would cost around £14billion to fix all potholes in England and Wales.
Shaun Davies, chair of the Local Government Association, said: “Decades of reductions in funding from central government to local road repair budgets has left councils facing the biggest ever annual pothole repair backlog.
“In order to support motorists, the Government should take this opportunity to work with councils to develop a long-term, fully-funded programme to catch up with the backlog.”
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Around £200million of Government funding has been invested in the Potholes Fund
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A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said that local authorities needed to maintain their highways, with new rules having been introduced to crack down on rogue utility companies leaving potholes behind after street works.