The data released by the RAC that shows a 24% year-on-year increase in the number of call-outs to vehicles likely to have suffered damaged due to poor road surfaces is an indictment of the lack of investment in our road network said the Road Surface Treatments Association (RTSA).
The RAC has reported that its patrols responded to 5,010 more incidents involving broken shock absorbers, ruined suspensions parts and distorted or damaged wheels in 2015 compared with 2014. In total, RAC dealt with 25,487 pothole related call outs in 2015.
“Given the amount of taxation that motorists pay, the increase in the number of vehicles being damaged by potholes is unacceptable,” said Howard Robinson, RSTA Chief Executive. “Motorists pay £26.6bn in fuel duty, £25bn for VAT on fuel and a further £6.1bn on other motoring taxes. An annual total of £58bn. In return they have a potholed local road network, damaged vehicles, a black hole of £12bn needed to bring roads up to an acceptable standard and local authorities struggling with ever-reducing budgets being unable to commit to the necessary programme of long-term maintenance.”
He continued: “The increase in vehicles being damaged by potholes underlines the raw deal that motorists have. Government must address the decades of under-investment in our local road network with proper long-term, ring-fenced funding.”