Pothole problems are nothing new here in the UK, during the wetter colder months, caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water that has seeped into existing smalls cracks on the surface of the road, through wear and tear of traffic over time.
Cold weather then causes this water to freeze (and expand) and when this water melts and evaporates in the warmer weather, you are left with the gaps which then get broken down by traffic.
However what is new and trending is the increased number of roadside assistance and breakdown recovery call outs due to potholes.
RAC patrols attended 20% more pothole breakdowns in Q4 2019 compared to the same period a year earlier.*
Of all the breakdowns experienced by the RAC’s individual members in 2019, 9,200 were for pothole-related faults such as distorted wheels & tyre failure.*
RAC patrols rescued 3,426 motorists who had broken down due to potholes in the first three months of 2020. This represents a 4.5% increase on the same period in 2019 and a 64% increase on the three months that closed out 2019.*
Every 60 minutes RAC patrols attend a pothole-related breakdown*
Had not coronavirus lockdown coming to force on 23rd March these pothole related breakdown numbers would have been even higher.
Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, said: “While millions of cars are mostly confined to streets and driveways during the coronavirus lockdown, people are more reliant than ever on their vehicles to buy food and important household items.
“The last thing any driver needs on the way to do their essential weekly shop is to suffer a nasty pothole-related breakdown that puts their car out of action, especially with fewer garages open than usual. This means the quality of local roads is, ironically, as important as ever.”