Pothole crisis deepens

A pothole peril is putting every rider in Britain at risk, according to the RAC Foundation.

It says local authorities in England and Wales claim they are getting only a third of the budget they need to maintain their highways to a safe standard. They can only afford to resurface their roads once every 56 years!

Crashes resulting from poor road surfaces are one of the top five most common motorcycle accidents, according to RoSPA.
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The RAC’s ALARM survey found that every Welsh local authority taking part in the survey, and 85% of English authorities, agreed that the backlog of maintenance is putting road users’ safety at risk.

And because riders have a greater reliance on good quality road surfaces – we’re most at risk from the cut-backs.

The survey results are revealed just days after a hike in road tax for riders of all bikes with a capacity greater than 150cc. Click here for more on that.

The RAC says: “The 2006 ALARM survey shows that highways engineers are fighting a losing battle to provide these basic safety requirements, being forced by budget shortfalls to “patch and mend” rather than put long-term repairs in place.
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Sheila Rainger, Campaign Manager for the RAC Foundation, said: “This year’s ALARM survey shows the depressing results of a decade of disrepair.

“Like all motorcyclists, I have had the frightening experience of being thrown out of the saddle by an unexpected pothole. Lucky bikers will get away with a dented wheel-rim or puncture, but others will find themselves sprawled on the road at the mercy of the traffic.

“Good roads may not be seen as a vote-winner but investment in properly planned maintenance saves lives,” she added.