British motorists are being urged to report ‘every blemish, crack and crater they see’ to councils to highlight the deteriorating state of the UK’s roads.
The AA is wanting to make 2023 ‘The Year of the Pothole’ by pushing drivers to report any damage to UK roads after the firm recorded a steep increase in the number of cars stranded by pothole damage in the first few months of this year.
According to the AA, it attended 52,000 pothole-related breakdowns in April 2023 – a 29 per cent increase on the same month in 2022. It says that an average of 1,735 drivers have had their vehicles damaged by poor-quality roads in April.
Councils have a responsibility to inspect the UK’s roads and keep them in good shape, but they can’t be held accountable for damage that hasn’t been recorded. The AA has said it is therefore ‘in everyone’s interest’ to report any damage, as well as give the authorities a better picture of ‘the crumbling state of the UK’s roads’.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said; “The pothole pandemic looks set to remain for quite some time, with little hope of a cure on the horizon.
“In order to help government and councils understand the true state of our roads we need the public to report every pothole they see. Regardless of their size, depth, the type of road and its position in the lane, we need to make 2023 ‘The Year of the Pothole’ so we can get our roads repaired.
“Potholes come in all shapes and sizes, each one posing a different type of danger. While the worst are like deep caves, shallower splits that snake across the surface can catch the wheels of cyclists causing severe damage.
“On safety grounds alone, we need to do all we can to shine a light on the awful condition of UK roads.”
Councils across the UK have different ways of reporting potholes, with motorways and major trunk roads being the responsibility of National Highways. Websites such as ‘FixMyStreet’ will automatically log and send reports to the relative council in relation to potholes.