This week saw the publication of the RAC’s latest Report on Motoring, with all the headlines concentrating on rising concerns over road maintenance. The RAC reports that for the first time ever, the condition and maintenance of roads is motorists’ top concern – for 56% of those surveyed – ahead of concerns over the cost of insurance and the cost of fuel.
However, further down the RAC’s release there is evidence of the impacts of wet weather. Some 61% of drivers noted poor drainage and a lack of adequate run-off in wet weather as significant issues, with 50% of drivers saying that they see poor drainage as a high safety risk.
The RAC notes that poor drainage can exacerbate the risk of damage to cars from potholes. Wet surfaces and flooding can hide potholes from view, making it impossible for drivers to avoid them or reduce their speed.
Given the UK’s wetter-than-average Winter and Spring, motorists’ concerns make sense. The Met Office reports that rainfall was above average for all parts of the UK in Winter 2024, with Southern England hit particularly hard, experiencing 153% of the rainfall average between 1991 and 2020. In Spring 2024, some areas of the UK saw double, or even triple the long-term monthly average rainfall.
As well as concealing potholes, wet weather can increase the rate at which they form, as vehicles driving over them cause the water to wash out loose bits of material from the pothole so that its edges cave in faster. Water can also widen cracks in a road’s surface as vehicles driving over them force water into the cracks at pressure, breaking off small pieces of material.
The RAC driver survey highlighted the problems faced by those responsible for local road networks with 81% of drivers saying that conditions are worse in 2024 than 2023 on rural roads and 78% saying they are worse in suburban locations. Potholes and surface defects are the main problem, cited by 98% of those surveyed.
From a regional perspective, the greatest proportion of drivers who report that the condition of local roads is bad is in the East Midlands at 85%. Meanwhile 83% drivers in the Southeast of England and 79% of those in the South West say their roads are in a poor state.
The condition of national roads is also of concern to more drivers this year too. Some 16% of those surveyed said that the condition of dual carriageways and motorways is one of their top concerns in 2024, compared to 11% in 2023.
The survey also reveals the impact of potholes on cars, with 27% of drivers reporting that their vehicle had been damaged as a result of potholes in the last 12 months, rising to 32% for those that live in rural areas. The most common issue is punctures, at 47%, followed by wheel damage, 43% and broken suspension springs, 29%.
The RAC notes that wheel and suspension spring damage are particularly expensive problems and says that the average cost of repairing a family car can be up to £460. In effect, drivers whose cars suffer damage are paying for the lack of Government funding for road repairs and maintenance.
The Asphalt Industry Alliance’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, published in March this year, estimated that it would cost £16.3bn at today’s prices to bring the network up to a decent condition. And, although total highway maintenance budgets for England and Wales were up 3% in 2023/24, this was a fall in real terms, taking inflation into account.
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Sources