Wet July sees rise in pothole-related breakdowns

This year is looking to be one of the worst on record for damage caused by potholes, according to the AA, after a wet July saw pothole-related breakdowns up by a fifth.

More than 50,000 drivers had journeys brought to a halt because of pothole-related damage this July, compared to 41,790 the July before, according to the AA Pothole Index.

July’s rainfall meant cars were damaged as puddles hid the potholes ‘lurking’ underneath.

The head of roads policy for the AA, Jack Cousens, said councils would have hoped for stretches of dry weather to repair roads ahead of winter. Local authorities will now be under pressure to get work done ‘before the weather really turns against them’, he said.

Mr Cousens added: ‘With 2023 looking to be one of the worst years on record for pothole damage, we need to see more investment in local roads maintenance funding.

‘As well as the financial damage to vehicles, at this time of year we also see more cyclists and motorbike riders on the roads where the damage can sadly be fatal.’

This article first appeared on localgov.co.uk.