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Pothole epidemic prompts driving advice

21/01/2010

Motorists are being warned of the dangers posed by potholes in the road, as regions that suffered another icy spell this week begin to thaw out.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said that drivers should expect improving conditions to reveal further damage to roads, caused by the expansion of water as it freezes inside cracks in the tarmac.

While the charity warned that driving through holes or broken up road can cause suspension or tyre damage, it also stressed the need to allow other motorists time and space to react suddenly to unexpected problems with the road. It advised drivers to leave extra distance from the vehicle in front so that they have time to see the road surface.

Last week, the Institute of Civil Engineers highlighted the damage caused by so-called "freeze-thaw" cycles of cold and warmer weather, calling on the Government to help maintain roads as a "vital asset". The Local Government Association (LGA) said that councils were "working flat out" to repair damage caused by the weather.

>According to pot holes.co.uk, poor roads result in local authorities having to pay more than £50 million in compensation each year, while road maintenance is "underfunded" by around £1 billion annually. In addition, a survey last year by the road-building industry claimed it would take more than a decade to put right the "crisis" of repairs which had built up throughout the country's road network.

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig echoed the LGA's earlier call for the public to report potholes to the local authority, stressing that "an early repair could prevent a future accident".

He added: "Drivers should be particularly conscious of cyclists and motorcyclists trying to get past a pothole and give them a wide berth.

"They are entitled to a wobble and would appreciate not having a motorist attempting to overtake just as they avoid a hole in the road."

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