RAC Report on Motoring 2016

3.0 The state of our roads

RAC Pothole Index

The RAC has used its database of over 2 million breakdowns attended each year to develop the RAC Pothole Index as an ongoing monitor of the state of the UK’s roads. The index uses the share of all breakdowns where damage from potholes, such as damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels, is likely to have been a major contributor.

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

2006

2016

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

The share is averaged over the previous 12 months to remove seasonal effects and a correction is applied to take account of the overall improvement in vehicle reliability over time. The index uses the share at the start of 2006 as a benchmark and the value of the index is therefore a measure of how likely a motorist’s vehicle is to suffer pothole damage compared to the start of 2006. Thus an index of 1.2 would mean the likelihood of pothole damage had increased by 20%. The index shows that there was a steady deterioration in the condition of roads between 2005 and 2010 as highways authorities’ budgets were tightened and many cut back on

preventative maintenance. There have been several extreme weather events over the last six years and the Government has provided additional funding to address the pothole damage that resulted. However, the index shows that while this funding has addressed the immediate effects of the bad weather, it has been insufficient to tackle the underlying deterioration that occurred prior to 2010. Going forward, the RAC will publish the index quarterly. Motorists wanting to report a pothole should visit the RAC website or download the free RAC Report Pothole mobile app for their iPhone or Android smartphone.

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