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’s 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’s clear that the budget isn’t 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’re taking a look.

What Is The Latest Investment?

In the recent UK budget, Jeremy Hunt announced that the government would be investing a further £200 million into highway maintenance, particularly for pothole repairs, on top of the £500 million announced in 2020 and on top of the October 2021 Spending Review settlement that committed over £2.7 billion for local highways maintenance between 2022 and 2025. 

Is It Enough?

The short answer to ‘Is the funding enough?’ is unfortunately not. While £200 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’t 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.

While main highways have received funding of over £7 billion a year over the past few years, residential roads barely scrape £1.125 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’t last long and will need re-filling just a few years later. The budget doesn’t 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. 

Why Are Potholes So Harmful To Your Car?

As a driver, you’ve 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: 

• Damaged Exhausts– if your exhaust is low, it could be knocked by a pothole, causing scrapes, dents and holes. 
• Wheels – Repeated driving over potholes could lead to issues with your wheels, including tyre deflation, damage, bent rims and misalignment.
• Damages Suspension and Shock Absorbers – The impact and vibration of hitting a pothole, particularly regularly over time, can lead to damage to the suspension springs and shock absorbers in your car. 
• Paintwork And Bodywork – If the pothole is particularly deep or you have a low-rise wheelbase, you could find your car suffering from scratched paintwork or damaged bodywork, particularly around the bumpers. 
• Accidents – Potholes can cause road accidents, whether through a car swerving to avoid them, or even when our wheels are knocked, causing the car to veer. Cyclists and motorcyclists can even be thrown from their bikes.

If your car has hit a number of potholes or you’re worried about the result of a particularly harsh pothole, we’re on hand to help. Our bodywork repairs, engine repairs, gearbox repairs and more will ensure that we check all of the potential damage and diagnose it fully, so we can get everything back into perfect working order. Simply get in touch with our team and book your car in for repair, today.