Pothole investigation
Steve Rothwell looks into problem potholes.
Start a conversation with any driver about the state of the roads and the first words will be potholes. I have heard it said that the phrase pothole dates back to the Roman days when potters stole clay from the roman roads to use in the manufacturing of Roman pots. I’m not sure if that is true or not, and I was under the belief that roman roads were constructed mainly of gravel, but I’m sure that Roman roads were probably in better condition than the tarmac ones we now use!
The continuing growing population of potholes which are appearing at a faster rate than they can be repaired is a constant bane of the road user whether they have two, three four or more wheels. Every road I drive on now has become an obstacle course with the need to weave in and out of the potholes that continue to appear with no sign of a repair in sight. The RAC reported that in years 2022/23, the total number of potholes filled in was 1.4 million, this was down from 1.7 million the previous year but still equivalent to one pothole being repaired every 22 seconds in England (including London) and Wales. In the USA a national pothole day exists (January 15th), so the problem is not restricted to the British Isles which is a small conciliation.
The total cost of filling in the UK’s potholes was estimated at £93.7 million, down 13% from the £107.4 million reported in the previous year.
Another £200,000,000 was added to the maintenance and pothole repair funding budget in March 2023. The largest amount of £9,390,800 going to Devon.
The potholes are, though, not just a nuisance or an inconvenience, they are a serious hazard to all motorists, and a hazard that can cause quite serious damage. I should point out at this stage that to be a pothole the indentation in the road needs to be at least 40mm in depth.
At the very least running over a shallow pothole will give the suspension a good shake up, but more serious damage to alloy wheels and steering joints is very real and very common. I have seen a multitude of alloy wheels that have been irreparably damaged due to driving into a pothole.
So, what should you do if you become a statistic and join the ranks of the many motorists who find themselves with expensive damage due to an unseen pothole.
The first point to make is that even if you do not suffer from any vehicle damage, reporting the pothole will at least get it in the system. This can be done simply by going to www.gov.uk/reportpothole this will then direct you to your local council’s website where the pothole can be reported. You can also report potholes at www.fillthathole.org.uk or www.fixmystreet.com
If you have suffered damage – and it is safe to do so – then the first action you sho
