It cost the UK drivers £579,000,000 to repair pothole damage last year

London: The pothole situation in the UK is pretty dire. Last year, drivers forked out a jaw-dropping £579 million just to fix the damage caused by these pesky road hazards. It’s not just a minor inconvenience; potholes can be downright dangerous, especially for cyclists and motorcyclists.

Most of us have hit a pothole at some point, right? Well, the AA reported that they dealt with over 643,000 pothole-related incidents last year. That’s a lot of calls! Even though the number of incidents dropped slightly, the costs have skyrocketed. The average repair bill is now around £300, up from £250, thanks to inflation and a shortage of spare parts.

And it’s not just about the money. Potholes can really mess up your car, damaging things like shock absorbers and wheels. In the worst cases, they can even lead to serious accidents. Just last week, a massive pothole on the M25 caused chaos for drivers, including a woman named Tessa who ended up stranded for hours and faced a hefty repair bill.

Between 2017 and 2021, six cyclists lost their lives due to bad road conditions, which is just heartbreaking. The situation has gotten so bad that there’s now a National Pothole Day to raise awareness. It’s estimated that fixing all the potholes in England and Wales would cost around £16.3 billion. Yikes!

But there’s a glimmer of hope. The AA’s president mentioned that the government is starting to take action. They’ve launched the Pothole Partnership, which aims to tackle this issue more effectively. The government is also investing more money into road maintenance, which is a step in the right direction.

Local authorities now have nearly £1.6 billion for road repairs, which is a nice boost compared to last year. The Department for Transport is promising to ensure that this money is spent wisely to prevent potholes from forming in the first place. Fingers crossed that we’ll see some real improvements soon!