RAC patrols were called to attend more than 10,000 pothole-related breakdowns in 2021.
It marks the highest annual total seen by the company since 2018, and equates to an astonishing 27 call-outs each day.
The new data, released for National Pothole Day 2022, is intended to highlight the scale of the problems caused by poor quality road surfaces across the UK.
Pothole problems sink further
The 10,123 RAC call-outs attended during 2021 saw potholes causing broken suspension springs, distorted wheels, and damaged shock absorbers.
This made for a 10 percent increase compared to the 9,198 pothole breakdowns the RAC attended during 2020.
In fact, broken roads accounted for 1.5 percent of all incidents dealt with by the breakdown company during 2021.
RAC data did show a slight fall in call-outs towards the end of 2021. However, the 1,688 pothole-related breakdowns still represented 0.9 percent of all RAC breakdowns attended in the final quarter of the year.
Time to turn the tide?
Information used to power the RAC’s own Pothole Index has found that UK drivers are now more at risk of damage from broken tarmac. Compared to data taken since 2006, hitting a pothole is now 1.63 times more likely to result in a car breaking down.
Rotting roads
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “The rot appears to have well and truly set in when it comes to the country’s roads, with our patrols going out to vast numbers of drivers who, through no fault of their own, are breaking down because of the wear-and-tear caused by potholes.
“This is ridiculous because it is almost entirely avoidable if roads were maintained properly. With drivers contributing so much in terms of tax to the Government, the very least they deserve are roads that are fit for purpose.”
Lyes added: “On National Pothole Day, our message to the Government is clear – it’s time the tide was turned when it comes to potholes and local councils are given the levels of funding they need to get their roads up to a reasonable standard.
“Clearly, promises of one-off pots of cash from the Government to fix the problem haven’t done the trick and we urgently need some fresh thinking.
“Ring-fencing a proportion of existing taxation and earmarking these funds purely for local roads over a long-term period would give councils the financial confidence they need to plan their road maintenance work, and finally break the back on this age-old problem.
“This is something we know would be popular with drivers.”
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