Oxfordshire mechanic squeezing-in emergency repairs due to pothole damage
New data shows vehicle breakdowns caused by potholes have increased by nearly a fifth over the past year.
A mechanic in Oxfordshire says they’re often having to squeeze in cars for repairs due to pothole damage.
It’s as new figures by the RAC shows vehicle breakdowns caused by potholes has increased by nearly a fifth in 12 months.
Some 9,439 callouts to breakdowns as a result of poor road surfaces in the UK were received by the RAC between January and March.
That was a 19% increase from 7,904 during the same period last year.
"Look for any discrepancies on the steering or noises"
Nick Newitt is an Oxfordshire mechanic, working at Thame One Stop Auto Centre for over 40 years.
He said: “Pothole damage tends to be an emergency repair and most garages, certainly locally that I can speak for, tend to be booked four to six weeks in advance. So, to repair pothole damage, you’ll be having to squeeze it in somewhere.”
He added: "The every-day damage that we see is damaged tyres and dented wheel rims, but we have had instances where the front suspension has been wiped out.
"We did a Mercedes last month where a pothole had wiped out the bottom of the front bumper, the intercooler, air condenser, the radiator, ripped the bottom covers off, and damaged the gearbox. It cost over £2,000 to repair.
Mr Newitt also tells us some advice to look out for signs of damage, he said: "If the car is still drive-able, look for any discrepancies on the steering or noises whilst you're driving it.
"Make sure that the car looks as how when you first got in it that day. If it doesn't, call the breakdown service because it's quite possible you've damaged some suspension component or a spring.
"It's not too bad to repair, but it can go on to cause further damage if you continue to drive on it".
"Pothole plague"
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "Our pothole-related breakdown data is a very clear reflection of the true state of the UK's roads, and it sadly shows the pothole plague is as prevalent as ever.
"Suffering a breakdown due to wear and tear caused by the poor quality of roads is frustrating beyond belief, particularly as the average cost of repairing anything more than a puncture is £460.
"The cost of motoring is high enough already without having to fork out extra money to get your car back on the road.
"Drivers shouldn't have to bear the brunt of these costs - they're only having to because the roads have been allowed to get into such a dire state.
"After filling dangerous potholes as permanently as possible, we urge councils to prioritise preventative maintenance such as surface dressing to stop future potholes appearing."
Local roads maintenance funding for England provided by the Government for this financial year is nearly £1.6 billion - a rise of £500 million compared with the previous 12 months.
The increase is estimated to be enough to fix around seven million potholes.
A quarter of the uplift is being held back until authorities have provided evidence they are using the funding wisely.
Local Government Association transport spokesman, Adam Hug, said: "Greater, long-term funding certainty for local highways authorities - with five-yearly funding allocations on a par with National Highways - is needed to tackle the multibillion-pound local roads backlog.
"This will enable councils to better monitor, plan for and invest in preventative treatments, which keep surfaces in better condition for longer and are cheaper than reactive repairs.
"The one-year boost to pothole funding confirmed earlier this month is good, and recognition that funding had been inadequate to keep roads maintained."
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "This Government is ending the pothole plague on Britain's roads.
"We are investing £1.6 billion to help local authorities resurface local roads and fix the equivalent of up to seven million extra potholes over the next financial year.
"With the average driver forking out nearly £500 to repair serious pothole damage, we know that fixing cratered roads is not just about pride in our communities, but the pound in people's pockets too.
"The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing a quarter of our record funding boost."