New data has shown that motorists in the UK are paying a heavy price for pothole damage, as the UK’s roads continue to deteriorate.
As tightening budgets leave councils struggling to repair roads, Kwik Fit’s latest annual PIT Report (Pothole Impact Tracker) reveals that in the last year, pothole damage has cost the country’s drivers a total of £1.48 billion
Recent research has highlighted the increasing number of potholes and poor road surfaces in the country, with pothole damage amongst some of the biggest talking points in motoring news this year.
As more and more potholes appear, with the potential to impact wheel alignment and cause suspension damage, the new ALARM (Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance) survey report highlights the increasing state to roads in England and Wales, with the amount needed to fix a backlog of repairs set at £16.3 billion.
This figure has grown from £9.31 billion in 2018. With these funds not available at the time, the problem has become much worse, leading to increased costs to fix pothole damage, according to Kwik Fit.
Pothole damage costs spiralling
Between 2018 and 2024 drivers have spent £9.5 billion on vehicle repairs caused by pothole damage, according to the PIT report. Notably, this almost exactly matches the road funding shortfall identified at the start of that period.
This year’s pothole damage bill of £1.48 billion represents a 61% increase in the six years since 2018, when the annual cost to drivers was £915 million. However, it should be noted that there has been an improvement from 2023, which saw a total bill of £1.67 billion.
Over the 12 months, motorists suffering pothole damage faced an average repair bill of £120, with costs exceeding £300 for 660,000 car owners. For cars needing repairs after hitting a pothole, the most commonly damaged components were tyres (51% of cases), wheels (34%) and suspension (27%). One in eight (12%) pothole damage repairs included bodywork, 10% involved steering components, while 8% saw exhaust damage.
Kwik Fit’s research found that in almost half (45%) of cases, the damage caused by hitting a pothole was not immediately apparent. One quarter (26%) of drivers suffering damage said that they identified the problem themselves when they checked the car in the days following the impact. However, nearly one in five (19%) say the damage was only identified when they took their car to a garage and had it checked by a professional.
The garage chain has found that around 60% of drivers say they have hit at least one pothole a week, up from 57% a year ago. In a related finding, 54% of drivers say the road surfaces in their area have deteriorated over the last twelve months, up from 48% in 2023. Only 10% say they have improved, down from an already meagre 15% this time last year.
Garages should be prepared
The increase in pothole damage shows that garages need to be prepared to conduct work on wheel alignment and suspension, with the likelihood of drivers needing these areas checked increasing.
The recent ALARM survey suggests that things are likely to get worse, unless finding for road repairs is released. It shows that the number of ‘good’ roads in England with 15-years’ or more life has dropped from 54% in 2021/2022 to 48% in 2023/2024. The number of ‘adequate’ roads with five to 15-years’ of life left has increased, from 28% to 35% in the same period.
The figures in Wales are worse, with ‘good’ roads falling from 61% to 48%, while ‘adequate’ roads have risen from 28% to 36%. More worrying is the number of ‘poor’ roads in the country, with less than five years’ life remaining. These have risen from 11% in 2021/2022, to 16% in 2023/2024.
Safety risk
“The worsening condition of our roads is a long-term issue, as shown by Kwik Fit’s annual PIT report over recent years,” commented Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit. “We know that council budgets are ever more stretched, but poor road surfaces hit the UK in the pocket through the damage they do to the nation’s vehicles.
“Potholes are not just an issue because of the cost to drivers, they present a risk to people’s safety. Our research shows that in many cases, people are unaware of the damage their car has suffered. A tyre with a compromised inner sidewall or a wheel which has suffered cracking may not be obvious without a thorough check. Sometimes a pothole can result in a slow puncture, which only becomes critical a few days after the impact, often in the most inconvenient location.”
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