AA callouts to pothole-damaged vehicles reach the highest level in five years

31 July 2023

New data collected by the AA’s Pothole Tracker shows that its patrols attended 46,650 vehicles with pothole-inflicted damage in June 2023 – the highest level in five years.

Earlier this year in the Spring Budget 2023, the UK government pledged £200m in funding for road surface repairs. Whilst this has allowed some progress to be made by local authorities in repairing potholes along roads in built-up areas, drivers are continuing to experience what the AA has labelled a ‘rural plague of potholes’ on roads with a lower priority for repairs.

According to the Pothole Tracker, early July figures indicate a further increased level of incidents. In the first five days of July, pothole-related call outs averaged 1,599 per day (compared with 1,555 per day in the first five days of June).

The summer holidays are now upon us and the AA has warned drivers undertaking holiday trips to be vigilant and report any potholes which they encounter directly to county councils via the local authorities’ websites.

Other websites, such as www.fixmystreet.com can also be used to report road surface damage, which are then passed on to local councils.

AA president Edmund King said, “Pothole incidents on rural roads that draw large numbers of holidaymakers can be a nightmare for everyone – the travellers as well as the roadside rescue organisations. Not only is the damage costly to the vehicle owners, but the repairs are seldom simple to fix and, sometimes being off the beaten track. They take time to sort out – particularly with so many cars no longer carrying a spare tyre.

“Holiday drivers need to keep their eyes peeled for potholes and other damage on country roads, which is not easy if rain creates surface water that hides the big ones. These conditions also make riding much more treacherous for those on two wheels where the consequences can be fatal.”

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