{"id":2509,"date":"2023-04-12T15:32:38","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T14:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.service4service.co.uk\/news\/?p=2509"},"modified":"2023-08-25T14:57:31","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T13:57:31","slug":"the-uks-pothole-investment-why-pothole-repairs-are-crucial-for-the-health-of-your-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.service4service.co.uk\/news\/general\/the-uks-pothole-investment-why-pothole-repairs-are-crucial-for-the-health-of-your-car\/","title":{"rendered":"The UK\u2019s Pothole Investment: Why Pothole Repairs Are Crucial For The Health Of Your Car"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Any driver on UK roads knows that our country has a significant issue with potholes. With some even calling us an embarrassment compared to the rest of Europe, our roads can be bumpy, unpleasant and hard on our cars. It\u2019s predicted that local authorities across the country will receive a request to fix a pothole every 46 seconds, with over a billion spent on trying to fix the roads country-wide, but with 1.7 million potholes filled in 2020-2021 alone and our roads still mimicking a poorly-made crazy golf course, it\u2019s clear that the budget isn\u2019t there to fix the problem adequately. However, the UK government have just announced further funding for highway maintenance, including pothole repair – but is it enough? We\u2019re taking a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is The Latest Investment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the recent UK budget, Jeremy Hunt announced that the government would be investing a further \u00a3200 million into highway maintenance, particularly for pothole repairs, on top of the \u00a3500 million announced in 2020 and on top of the October 2021 Spending Review settlement that committed over \u00a32.7 billion for local highways maintenance between 2022 and 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is It Enough?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The short answer to \u2018Is the funding enough?\u2019 is unfortunately not. While \u00a3200 million sounds like a lot, when split between local councils that are often already underfunded and unable to properly maintain their roads, it likely won\u2019t make much of a difference. This is particularly the case considering the state of a huge number of residential roads across the UK and how much work would be needed to get them up to a good standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While main highways have received funding of over \u00a37 billion a year over the past few years, residential roads barely scrape \u00a31.125 billion, yet make up the vast majority of miles driven in cars UK-wide. For local councils, they are often left with a limited budget to fill potholes, where a quick fill often won\u2019t last long and will need re-filling just a few years later. The budget doesn\u2019t stretch far enough to resurface all roads, particularly when the given budget needs to cover not just road surfaces, but cycleways, lighting, bridges and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Are Potholes So Harmful To Your Car?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a driver, you\u2019ve probably flinched when hitting a pothole before. That deep, bone-shattering thud when you pass over a particularly deep and unavoidable pothole can have you worrying all the way home as to whether your bodywork and suspension survived the ordeal. Potholes can be harmful to your car and to road users, with some of the top risks being: <\/p>\n\n\n\n