Only 3% of new cars on sale in the UK today come with any form of spare wheel as standard, increasing the number of breakdowns where drivers need help in the event of a unrepairable flat tyre, says the RAC. After reviewing equipment lists of more than 300 car models across 28 brands – everything from the smallest superminis to the largest 4x4s – the RAC found just eight (2.6%) come with a spare, … [Read more...]
Holidaymakers praise foreign roads
The great holiday getaway is underway and an overwhelming majority of UK drivers think the roads they’ve driven on in other European countries put the UK’s potholed-plagued streets to shame, according to new RAC Europe research. As many as 72% of drivers who have experience of driving abroad think the condition of roads – such as the number and severity of potholes – is worse in the UK than in … [Read more...]
Potholes problems see more calls for RAC help
The poor condition of Britain’s local roads is laid bare today by new figures from the RAC which show its patrols went out to more than 8,100 pothole breakdowns between April and June 2023, the highest number in five years. Since the start of 2023, the RAC has dealt with 18,250 breakdowns for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels – the call-outs which are most … [Read more...]
“Pothole nation” and how to claim for damage
Research from Go.Compare car insurance has revealed UK areas where drivers are likely to face the most potholes and shows how you can claim for damage to your vehicle. Go.Compare submitted more than 300 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to councils across England and Wales, to determine which of the UK’s roads needed the most pothole repair work. It found that Derbyshire County Council tops … [Read more...]
Wales wins by miles with smiles
Driving is smiles better in Wales. The happiest drivers in the country have been announced with motorists in Wales topping the list, a new study reveals. Experts at LeaseCar.uk have crunched the numbers for each region based on factors which are important to drivers when it comes to having an enjoyable trip. Highest amount of traffic levels, most amount of roads (miles), total number of … [Read more...]
Welsh councils filling more potholes at higher costs
This year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey makes bleak reading, with worsening carriageway conditions and mounting costs set to spell more misery for road users. The ALARM survey, published today by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, reports that local authority highway teams in England and Wales only received around two-thirds of what they needed to stop our local roads from further … [Read more...]
Tradelines 15 March
Jaguar will slash its dealer sites from about 80 today to under 20 within two years as it moves to an all-electric line up, sources have told Car Dealer magazine. The existing dealerships will have to consider selling only Land Rover models while the Jaguar range is developed but seen as taking much smaller role and the move will affect accountancy practices by those who have invested in the … [Read more...]
Pothole problems are spreading say RAC
RAC patrols attended nearly a quarter (23%) more breakdowns where potholes were likely to blame in the last three months of 2022 compared to the previous three months, show new RAC figures released to mark today’s National Pothole Day. The motoring services company’s roadside staff went out to an average of 20 breakdowns a day between October and the end of the year – a total of more than 1,800 – … [Read more...]
Pothole Mayhem: Top Tips from IAM RoadSmart
The snow and heavy rain that many of us experienced over the last month have left behind a trail of destruction with potholes filling our roads. Before the snow had cleared, social media was flooded with pictures and complaints of bathtub-sized holes. All big enough to cause serious damage to motorists. It’s estimated that it could cost more than £12 billion to fix the roads with potholes. But … [Read more...]
Councils cutting corners on carriageway care, reports RAC
Six-in-10 drivers (60%) believe the condition of local roads they use regularly is worse than a year ago, with a similar proportion (55%) complaining the standard of pothole repairs is – at best – ‘poor’, new RAC data* has found. What’s more, 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 research conducted for … [Read more...]
