Potholes have been an endless source of frustration for road users across the UK with insurance companies paying out millions each year in car repair claims. Matthew Bastable, from BPH Attachments, examines how our highways have become failing infrastructure in need of urgent repair.<\/p>\n
Each year, around 38.4 million vehicles travel on Great Britain\u2019s network of 246,700 miles of road making them crucial for connecting communities, the movement of goods and maintaining the economy.<\/p>\n
According to the Department of Transport, 66% of vehicle miles travelled in 2019 were on motorways and \u2018A\u2019 roads, with the remainder travelled on minor roads. Although local authorities are attempting to repair roads as quickly as possible, potholes have continued to plague the country\u2019s road network, damaging vehicles and posing a danger to road users which, in some circumstances, have been fatal.<\/p>\n
Vulnerable road users are especially at risk. Figures from the Department for Transport show that more than 250 cyclists have been killed or seriously injured due to poorly maintained roads in the last five years.<\/p>\n
Most recently, one woman from Lancashire was sadly killed during a 50-mile bike ride after hitting a 2.5 inch deep pothole and losing control. Another woman from Merseyside was also involved in a fatal crash, after a pothole caused her to veer into the path of an oncoming car.<\/p>\n
Potholes in the UK have been increasing at an alarming rate over the past few years. According to the AIA (Asphalt Industry Alliance), 11% of England\u2019s roads (excluding London) are in poor condition, with a further 25% showing some deterioration. It estimates that more than 22,000 miles of road are likely to require maintenance in 2020 at a cost of \u00a39.8 billion to local authorities over the next 10 years. However, on average, each local authority faces a \u00a34.1 million shortfall in annual carriageway maintenance budgets \u2013 a figure that has increased year on year and is only likely to get worse as budgets are cut.<\/p>\n
Concerns about adequate funding have persisted for years, however, according to AIA\u2019s data, the cost of filling potholes has fallen from over \u00a370 to nearly \u00a350 in the last 10 years. But what this doesn\u2019t reflect is the quality of the repairs undertaken or the longevity of the surface dressing.<\/p>\n
A pothole resolution?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear there is no quick fix to the pothole problem. Limitations on local authorities have meant that pothole repairs have become a reactive issue rather than a proactive problem in need of solving. The less frequently a road surface is fully replaced, the more likely it is to have problems with degradation, including the formation of potholes \u2013 creating an endless cycle of pothole, repair and repeat.<\/p>\n
Unrepaired potholes have a huge impact on the tax payer. In the last year, local authorities have paid out \u00a322.5 million in compensation claims due to road surface defects. Utilising tax payer money to upgrade the road networks would be a far better use of funds than paying compensation claims.<\/p>\n
Issues with potholes don\u2019t just include the associated costs with carrying out the work, but also the time taken to complete the repairs.\u00a0 Road works can cause a huge headache for those using the road networks, often creating long tailbacks and adding time onto journeys. The average driver will spend over a day a year sitting in traffic at a cost of more than \u00a31,100 in wasted fuel and time.<\/p>\n
There are hopes that innovations made in recent years will address this problem. While traditionally many contractors have used road planers or \u2018top cutters\u2019 to strip the tarmac so that an excavator can then dig a trench for the replacement section, plant machinery attachments are proving to be invaluable for both time and cost savings. For example, the PRODEM Patch Planer, which can be mounted directly onto an excavator or skid-steer already on site, removes the necessity for separate, large road planing equipment and cuts 120mm deep in two passes. Such equipment has proved to reduce both the time taken and the costs involved to undertake repairs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, some councils are opting for trialling new materials. These include \u2018self-repairing\u2019 asphalt, recycled plastic fillers and automated paving technology to help improve surfacing quality. Automated paving technology will collect data that can be combined with manufacturing information to create an accurate record of the condition and material composition of a road.<\/p>\n
The future for pothole maintenance is hazy. There is no clear or unified consensus across local authorities or government as to how the issue will be solved in the long term. However, what is apparent are the consequences of allowing our highways to deteriorate without planned and preventative maintenance or regular road resurfacing. As roads worsen, not only do the costs and time of resolving problems increase, but injuries and fatalities will continue to occur \u2013 and nobody should have to pay for a pothole with their life.<\/p>\n