Pothole-related breakdowns rose by a fifth last month, following a month of regular rainfall.
Latest AA data reveals some 50,079 drivers had their journeys brought to a halt due to pothole-related damage in July, compared to 41,790 for the same month in 2022. The breakdown recovery specialist said a month of rain hampered pothole repairs for councils – and warned that 2023 is on track to be one of the worst on record for pothole damage.
At the end of July, the AA had attended 362,172 pothole related incidents, making 2023 the third worst year for pothole breakdowns after seven months, behind 2017 (366,227) and 2018 (398,832).
With council progress to fix potholes hindered in July, it is hoped road maintenance teams can catch up across August and September.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said; “July’s rainfall caused more headaches for drivers last month with tyres, suspensions and steering mechanisms all being damaged as the rain and puddles hid the potholes lurking underneath.
“Councils would’ve been hoping for a dry summer so they could get as much repair work carried out before the real autumn and winter weather hit. They will now be under more pressure to get their planned works completed before the weather really turns against them.
“With 2023 looking to be one of the worst years on record for pothole damage, we need to see more investment in local roads maintenance funding. As well as the financial damage to vehicles, at this time of year we also see more cyclists and motorbike riders on the roads where the damage can sadly be fatal.”
