Britain's Wholly Unacceptable Roads

A survey by Continental Tyres has revealed what most of us already knew; Britain’s roads are in a terrible state. As drivers we’re taught to avoid dangers in the form of other motorists and pedestrians, but today we’re just as likely to be caught out by another hazard - the pothole.

According to a recent survey by Continental Tyres, one in five drivers have reported a pothole to their local authority, but over half of these said their council had not done anything to fix them. The result is that over two million drivers reported a near miss with another vehicle or pedestrian due to either hitting a pothole or swerving to avoid one.

One in six went on to report tyre damage caused by potholes - itself a greater risk to road safety. Motorists could be unwittingly driving on tyres with hidden problems which could result in a catastrophic failure. The driver is therefore putting themselves and other road users at risk.

But it isn't just the safety issues that are causing concern; there's also the financial impact to consider. Continental's research suggests that over 10 million motorists have suffered car damage because of potholes, with an average cost of £121 per driver. This amounts to a staggering cost to the nation of over £1.2 billion. The holes this leaves in Britain's pocket is far bigger than the holes in the road.

Quite clearly the snowfall experienced across the previous two winters has played a part in the appalling conditions of our roads, but surely the safety and financial impact of the potholes should encourage local authorities to do something about it. Seemingly not, with 80 per cent of the drivers surveyed feeling they receive poor value for money considering the taxes they pay for road maintenance.

The message is therefore loud and clear, if you're not satisfied with the state of the roads in your area, make sure you report it to your local council. But in the meantime, keep a look out for the hidden dangers on our road. Hitting a hole could seriously damage your health...and wealth.

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

Gavin is a keen petrolhead and a regular writer for Car Press and PetrolBlog. To read more of Gavin's work, visit his blog or follow him at @MajorGav on Twitter.

09/07/2010