RAC Report on Motoring 2016

RAC Report on Motoring 2016

3.0 The state of our roads

Motorists are more sanguine about the state of major roads and motorways, but with an increase in traffic volumes recorded over the past 12 months, it is no surprise that congestion and the availability of parking have become more significant concerns. And while there is general agreement that the authorities are doing their best to minimise the delays caused by accidents, more could be done to keep motorists informed about the The condition and maintenance of local roads is the top concern among the largest percentage of motorists once again in 2016. Of those questioned, 14% say this is their number-one concern, up from 10% last year. Almost four in 10 drivers (38%) say the state of local roads is one of their top four concerns this year: impact of major incidents. 3.1 Ongoing problems with local roads

Just over half of drivers (51% compared with 50% in 2015) say the condition of the roads in their area has deteriorated over the past 12 months, overwhelmingly as a result of potholes (cited by 97% of respondents). However, roadside litter (25%) and poor grass and/or foliage maintenance (20%) are also named by many as problems. Only 9% of motorists think that local roads have improved since 2015 – this represents a very small drop from last year’s 10% who thought the condition of local roads had improved over the previous 12 months. In terms of demographics, older drivers and those in rural locations are more likely to think that the condition of roads has deteriorated. By way of contrast, a majority of motorists (61%) think that the condition of the motorways and dual carriageways they use has not changed over the past 12 months (up from 58% in 2015). And only 7% think they have improved against 9% who took this view last year, perhaps indicating it is still too early for motorists to see the benefits of the Road Investment Strategy in terms of the condition of the existing network.

this also represents a sharp increase on last year (30%).

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