No improvement in road standards; Potholes Fund may be under threat - RAC comment

Following new government data that shows no discernible improvement in the state of the UK’s roads, and reports that suggest the annual Potholes Fund may be under threat, RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said:

“The fact there has been no discernible improvement in the state of our roads in the last two years despite having milder-than-average winters does not bode well if temperatures plunge in the next few months. Our research shows that the majority of drivers believe local road conditions have worsened in the last 12 months and our Pothole Index suggests drivers are around 1.5 times more likely to suffer a pothole-related breakdown than they were in 2006.

“A lack of adequate funding for the nation’s local roads remains the biggest issue and drivers will be wincing if any further cuts to budgets are announced in the forthcoming Autumn Statement. Cutting pothole funds would be huge backward step, heaping yet more misery onto drivers and businesses who will need to fork out for costly repairs to vehicles, while also increasing the risk of roads becoming safety hazards for cyclists.”