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Welsh drivers and vehicles battered by potholes
publication date: Apr 9, 2010
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author/source: Robin Roberts
The routine run to the supermarket is the most
damaging drive for your car, say Welsh motorists.
New
figures from the RMI reveal that the average Welsh motorist thumps their
car into potholes up to four journeys a day –trips to the supermarket
(63pc), going to the petrol station (52pc) and driving to and from
relatives (50pc) are cited as being the journeys subject to the most
potholes and resulting in the most damage to vehicles.
At a time when
recent bad weather has created 2 million pot holes and is causing as
many as 1 in 5 mechanical failures a new survey by the RMI is the first
to get a sense from drivers on the way potholes impact everyday
journeys. Given the scale of the pothole problem, the RMI estimates that
up to 67pc of drivers across the UK could be driving damaged and unsafe
cars on our roads, with a potential repair cost of £2bn.
The RMI
asked a representative sample of more than 2,000 people to identify on
which of their everyday car journeys they had to contend with potholes.
Rob
Foulston, Chief Executive of the RMI said, “This is the first time the
daily impact on drivers’ everyday journeys has been put in context and
the scale of the problem is alarming. Given the frequency that people
hit pot holes on a daily basis, we predict that up to 1 in 3 drivers are
driving damaged cars – whether this is due to cracked alloys, damaged
tyres or faulty suspension. People usually only get these things checked
out when a service is due, but we would urge drivers to get their cars
checked much more frequently.
Ironically almost one in four Welsh drivers (26pc)
said
that they had crashed into potholes while returning from having their
car fixed or serviced at their local garage.
Those in the North West,
East Midlands and London reveal that they have the most precarious
school runs of all the regions - 17pc, with the school run affecting
12pc of those in Wales; supporting research that suggests that road
maintenance in England and Wales is underfunded by around 50pc, or £1
billion every year.
Those in the South East have reported the most
dangerous commute to work - 57pc, compared to 45pc of Welsh workers.
The
country’s leading car tyre wholesaler has seen a 95pc increase in
damaged tyres since the snow melt. |
| Serious | Key findings:
In total, 92pc of drivers in Wales said
they are forced to avoid or drive over potholes on a daily basis. In
addition to the damage caused by driving over potholes, trying to
manoeuvre around them raises road safety issues.The five everyday journeys most interrupted by potholes
were driving to the supermarket (59pc); to the petrol station
(48pc); to or from relatives (46pc); to and from work (45pc) to the doctor or pharmacy (36pc). | Paul Fox, Chief Executive of Micheldever Tyre Services
said, “It is a serious road safety concern that we are seeing a marked
increase in the number of drivers calling in with pothole damaged
vehicles.
“Obviously we suggest that motorists remain alert to this
increased road danger, but should drivers unavoidably hit a pothole and
become concerned about possible damage, they can visit a reputable tyre
specialist who will examine the car free of charge and report any
damage.” |
The state of the roads is the single largest transport
issue concerning voters ahead of the general and local elections on 6
May.
77pc of the British people say potholes and damaged roads
are a big problem in their area and at 52pc the level of dissatisfaction
with road maintenance is at its highest level for a decade.
When it
comes to the highest transport priorities for an incoming government,
58pc say it should be dealing with the condition of roads and pavements,
while curbing the general cost of driving including fuel prices comes
close behind on 46pc. Only 3pc regard planning and building a new high
speed rail line between London and Birmingham as a priority amongst ten
options.
And when asked which areas of public spending on transport
should be protected from possible cuts, road maintenance was top,
selected by 70pc of the respondents. Just 8pc think high speed rail
should be protected.
These are the results of a new Ipsos MORI poll
carried out across Britain for the RAC Foundation.
Commenting on the
results, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation
said:
"This starkly underlines the huge inconvenience potholes are
causing the majority of the Great British public and leaves would-be
politicians in no doubt of where voters - no matter what their political
persuasion - think the next Government's transport priorities should
lie."
"The attention repeatedly focused on high speed rail misses the
reality of most people's lives which is that 92pc of all passenger
journeys take place on the roads. The road network is a vital utility
and is essential to the economic and social wellbeing of the nation. It
should be treated as such."
"All candidates would do well to note
people's dissatisfaction with the state of the road network which has
leapt over the past year."
"In 2007 1.8 million people signed a
petition calling on Tony Blair not to introduce road pricing, and
eventually the Government dumped the idea. Too often, this country's 35
million car drivers are taken for granted by the politicians and most of
the time they are the silent majority, but when they do speak they
change public policy. Those who want to be our elected representatives
ignore motorists' views at their peril." |
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