Drivers warned to expect more potholes due to rain and sub-zero blast

Drivers are warned to expect surge in potholes ‘peppering the road’ due to ‘perfect recipe’ of torrential rain falling either side of sub-zero blast

  • Drivers have been told to expect more potholes after December’s cold weather
  • The RAC warned the freezing temperatures are the ‘perfect recipe’ for potholes
  • Water enters cracks in the road and expands when frozen so surfaces crumble 
  • It comes after MailOnline and This is Money set out to find the biggest pothole 

Drivers are being warned to expect a surge in potholes due to the large amount of rain that fell either side of December’s freezing temperatures.

The RAC warned that the weather has created ‘the perfect recipe for potholes to start peppering the roads’.

Water which entered cracks then expanded when frozen, causing road surfaces to crumble and pothole-related vehicle breakdowns are already on the rise.

It comes after MailOnline and This is Money teamed up with JCB to find the biggest pothole in the country – and pledged to fix it for free when they do.

Drivers are being warned to expect a surge in potholes due to the large amount of rain that fell either side of December’s freezing temperatures (Pictured: A pothole in Elingham Way in Ashford, Kent)

The RAC warned that the weather has created ‘the perfect recipe for potholes to start peppering the roads’ (Pictured: A pothole in Wisbech, Norfolk)

To mark National Pothole Day today, MailOnline asked people to nominate the largest road crater in their area.

A selection of the worst entries will be put to a reader vote on which one is the most shocking. 

But the ‘annoyance’ of potholes appears to be set to get worse due to the extreme weather.

The RAC responded to an average of 20 call-outs a day for faults such as damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels between October and December last year.

That was up from 16 a day during the previous three months.

The figures were released to mark National Pothole Day today.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: ‘The wet weather we’ve had both before and after the coldest start to winter in 12 years in December is the perfect recipe for potholes to start peppering the roads.

‘We fear that by the spring, drivers will be plagued by a plethora of potholes across the country’s roads which makes journeys uncomfortable and frustrating or, worse still, could lead to very expensive garage repair bills.

He stressed the importance of remembering that potholes are ‘so much more than just an annoyance, they are a true road safety danger’.

Mr Lyes said this was particularly the case for those on two wheels, as potholes represent a ‘huge risk to their personal safety’.

The RAC responded to an average of 20 call-outs a day for faults such as damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels between October and December last year (Pictred: A pothole in Croydon, Greater London)

He added: ‘There are too many occasions where potholes have been poorly patched up by cash-strapped councils which then return all too quickly.

‘It’s frankly absurd that, as a country, we seem unable to get on top of such an age-old problem when roads play such an important role in people’s everyday lives.’

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘We are investing more than £5 billion from 2020 to 2025 into local highways maintenance – including the Potholes Fund announced at the 2020 Budget.

‘This will fill millions of potholes a year, repair dozens of bridges, and resurface roads up and down the country.’

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