Six in 10 drivers believe the condition of the local roads they use regularly is worse than a year ago, with almost as many (55%) saying the standard of pothole repairs is ‘poor’, according to the latest RAC annual survey.
Only 4% think the state of the local roads in their area has improved in the past 12 months, down from 6% for the last two years.
The survey of 3,102 drivers for the 2022 RAC Report on Motoring showed that the percentage saying their local roads had become worse had grown by 2% from 58% in 2021 (up from 52% in 2020).
The proportion of drivers saying that the condition of motorways and dual carriageways worsened during the year (38%) is lower than for local roads but has also risen, from 32% in the last survey.
The issues most frequently cited (98%) by drivers who said the state of their local roads has deteriorated related to surface quality, including potholes. However, 63% said they had noticed faded road markings, up from 56% last year, while 42% reported that signage visibility was worse and 35% complained about roadside litter.
Nearly half of respondents (45%) said the poor condition and maintenance of the UK’s local roads was their top motoring concern, although the cost of fuel rated higher at 55%.
More than half of respondents rated the standard of pothole repairs in their area as ‘poor’ (35%) or ‘very poor’ (20%).
The RAC’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: ‘Many [drivers] describe the repair work – when it’s carried out – as being substandard, which more than likely means potholes and surface defects will quickly reappear, costing yet more money to fix.
‘This seems to be utter madness and an issue that badly needs addressing if drivers’ views are indeed accurate.’
He added: ‘Unfortunately, we do still have a widespread funding shortfall meaning that many councils can’t afford to maintain and improve roads as they would like to.’
Cllr David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said the organisation’s latest estimates show that the average cost of a pothole repair has increased by around 25%, with the cost of running street lights nearly doubling.
He said: ‘Research shows that, even before current levels of inflation, existing levels of funding will lead to a gradual decline in road conditions.
‘The Government should meet these increased costs in the upcoming Autumn Statement; otherwise they risk the current pothole repair backlog growing even longer and councils being forced to cut back on essential road repairs.’
