Figures reveal October callout record for potholes in East of England
£609 million will be spent repairing potholes in the East
Last updated 27th Nov 2023
Motorists are being urged to avoid puddles and potholes, after a record month of pothole related incidents - including in Norfolk and Suffolk.
According to new figures from the AA, a total of 52,541 callouts were made by people across the UK who broke down after hitting a pothole in October alone.
The numbers make last October the worst month on record for the number of pothole-related callouts, and is up by 12% compared to figures for October 2022.
In total, the AA has received nearly 511,000 callouts for breakdowns triggered by potholes for this year so far.
Some of the regular problems cars face after running into potholes include punctures, damaged shock absorbers and suspension springs that have been ruined.
Potholes are made when water on the road seeps deep into the surface of the road, filling cracks. When winter hits, the water freezes and eventually breaks the tar cover that usually keeps the road smooth.
Data for repairing cars at garages showed that on average, a driver will have to shelf out £440 should the damage be more significant than just a puncture.
It comes as the cost of fixing the potholes up and down England and Wales' local roads reaches an estimated £14 million.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to tackle problem potholes, pledging to allocate £8.3 billion of government funds to maintain local roads in the country, using money that had been earmarked for the northern leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester.
£609 million of that will be spent in the East of England.
The AA's public relations manager Tony Rich added that natural weather systems the UK is facing regularly are playing into increased numbers.
"Continuous poor weather and storms such as Babet, Ciaran and Debi are having a two-fold effect on driving conditions," he said.
"What feels like relentless rainwater is covering and increasing the severity of potholes, while also holding back essential road repairs by rightly diverting roads maintenance crews to tackle fallen trees and flooded areas.
"Our advice to drivers and those on two wheels is to avoid puddles where safe to do so, but if there is no alternative other than to travel through, then reduce your speed and keep an increased distance from the vehicle in front."
In response to the findings, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "We are already investing more than £5.5 billion into highways maintenance, and our recent Network North announcement delivers an additional £8.3 billion, the biggest ever increase in funding for local road improvements, and enough to resurface up to 5,000 miles of roads."