Worst month in HISTORY for pothole breakdowns revealed as thousands of drivers battle bad roads

The AA were called out to 52,541 incidents last month, The Sun can reveal

Published: 0:18, 27 Nov 2023

OCTOBER was the worst month in history for pothole-related breakdowns, it has been revealed.

Heavy rain and standing water from Storm Babet has submerged hidden potholes, leading to misery for drivers.

Storm Babet rainfall contributes to a 12% increase in wheel, tyre andsuspension damage by covering road damageCredit: Les Gallagher

Number of potholels filled over recent years

The hidden holes have caused drivers to suffer blowouts, punctures and suspension damage.

The Sun can now reveal that the AA were called out to 52,541 incidents last month due to potholes alone, which marked a 12 per cent increase on October last year.

It marked the worse month in history for pothole related recoveries, the AA confirmed.

The cumulative total for 2023 stands at more than half a million (510,932), averaging 1,591 a day.

Last week, the government announced the long-term funding of local roads maintenance across England, with the redistribution of £8.3billion of HS2 money.

The AA’s Tony Rich told The Sun: “Continuous poor weather and storms such as Babet, Cairan and Debi are having a two-fold effect on driving conditions.

“What feels like relentless rainwater is covering and increasing the severity of potholes while holding back essential road repairs by rightly diverting roads maintenance crews to tackle fallen trees and flooded areas.

“The £8.3billion Road Maintenance Fund will offer some respite for drivers, but with the first instalment not being made until April 2024, the funding can’t come soon enough.

“We are also pleased that councils will be encouraged to use the money to resurface streets rather than patch and run. Ensuring the structural integrity of the roads is key to road safety.

“Until then, our advice to drivers and those on two wheels is to avoid puddles where safe to do so, but if there is no alternative other than to travel through, then reduce your speed and keep an increased distance from the vehicle in front.”

A shocking report, by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), found only 51 per cent of England and Wales’s 205,400 miles of local roads are in good order.

The cost of the road repair backlog is reported to have increased 11 per cent on last year to a new high of £14billion.

And as austerity and inflation have put town hall budgets under increased pressure, there has been far less money to spend on pothole repair.

Tory MP Greg Smith, who sits on the transport select committee, said:“This pothole black hole is a national embarrassment. Drivers wouldn’t be mistaken in thinking carriageways have gone to pot.”

Cars can often be left scratched and damaged due to bad roads – and now experts have revealed who should pay up.

Expert Liam Waine said it largely depends on who is responsible for the maintenance of the road.

He said that the driver is going to have to provide proof not only the extent of the damage caused but that the damage was caused by a pothole.

To do this, Mr Waine advises that motorists need to get their vehicle to a garage as soon as possible, asking they provide a written report detailing the damage and identifying the cause of it.

He added: “If it is safe to do so, drivers should try and get evidence of the pothole by taking photographs and measurements and also the details of the road in question.”

Any complaint made to a local authority could be rejected by them but this is not necessarily the end of the matter, as further action can be possible.

Mr Waine said: “If any complaint to an authority results in a claim being rejected then a driver may want to make a request for information under The Freedom of Information Act 2000 to the relevant authority for all the evidence and records relating to maintaining the particular road in question.

“This may result in a claim being successful if it can be shown by disclosure of information that the authority did not have an adequate maintenance record which confirms they adhered to statutory duties and their own policies.”

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:”Most people travel by road and potholes can cause misery for motorists, from expensive vehicle repairs to bumpy, slow and dangerous journeys.

“Our £8.3billion boost to repair roads across the country shows that we’re on the side of drivers.

“Today’s biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips – as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”