Dire road surfaces the top worry for UK drivers
The dire road surfaces in the UK is the top motoring concern for drivers, more even than the price of insurance and fuel costs.
According to research carried out by the RAC, 56% of respondents cited the condition and maintenance of roads as their number one issue – a seven per cent rise on 2023.
This is also 21% more than the second greatest concern for drivers, insurance costs, and 24% more than fuel costs, which is their third largest worry.
The survey found that 73% of drivers say the condition of the local roads they use regularly is poorer than a year ago, while just six per cent think road surfaces have improved in the last 12 months.
Worrying, 27% of drivers say their vehicle has suffered damage as a result of potholes in the last 12 months, with punctures (47%), wheel damage (43%) and broken suspension springs (29%) the most common issues. It also found that average repair cost have now risen to £460.
Dire road surfaces
RAC patrols attended 25,085 pothole-related breakdowns in the 12 months to the end of June, but other road issues cited by drivers include poor drainage (61%), faded road markings (58%), and poor signage (34%).
Commenting on the dire road surfaces, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “These new figures are a damning condemnation of the commitments made by previous governments to fix Britain’s perpetual pothole plague. It’s as clear as day that councils simply haven’t had the financial support they need to bring the standard of the roads in their care up to a reasonable standard.
“The new government simply must do something differently. Without a promise of far more funds for councils – something we will push hard for ahead of the autumn Budget – its options are extremely limited. Put bluntly, the less we spend as a nation on our roads now, the more it will cost us in the future. Anything less than a step change in the condition of the roads over the course of this Parliament simply will not do.”
