Residents in Northamptonshire have likened driving on their pothole-ridden roads to navigating "dodgems" as they voice serious safety concerns on National Pothole Day.
Rushden Avenue resident Karen described the treacherous conditions facing drivers in her area. "It's really bad, you have to swerve basically to miss all the potholes," she told GB News.
Karen added: "It's like dodgems, you just got to miss the pothole. It's just a mess."
The situation has become particularly dangerous when accessing driveways, with Karen explaining that a "big, massive pothole" forces drivers to manoeuvre around it while watching for oncoming traffic.
Fellow resident Josh raised grave concerns about the risks to two-wheeled road users. "It's a danger to cyclists and motorcyclists, considering I used to ride myself," he said.
Josh warned of potentially fatal consequences, particularly during night-time journeys. "All it takes is someone potentially driving a bike or a motorbike at night, no bit of vision, one slip and you're gone."
Emergency services are also reportedly affected, with Josh noting: "There's sirens every couple of nights, sometimes probably struggling to get through."
Mark Morrell, also known as Mr Pothole, today announced his retirement from campaigning, and said he has "no faith" in the Government or politicians to "do anything about the roads".
Morrell began his cause 12 years ago after reporting potholes on local roads near his home in Brackley, Northamptonshire, and wanted to "make a difference".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Announcing his retirement, Morrell claimed that no Government or political party "really wants to do anything about our failing roads", and now wants to focus his time "supporting those closest to me".
Labour has pledged an extra £500million to tackle the pothole problem following pressure from drivers and MPs.
However, David Giles, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, warned that local road conditions have reached an all-time low due to decades of underfunding.
"If we want to see improved conditions, local authorities need sustained, targeted and accountable funding – provided on both a needs and improvement basis – over the long term," he said.
He stressed that proper funding would enable highway engineers to perform timely maintenance and repairs.
This would deliver "better value for money for the public funds allocated and helping to ensure we have a local road network that is safe, keeps people connected and supports economic growth," Giles added.
The scale of Britain's pothole crisis is reflected in the estimated £16billion needed to address the backlog of repairs across England and Wales.
Fixing potholes is the responsibility of local authorities, such as councils or National Highways.
Find Out More...
Rushden Avenue resident Karen described the treacherous conditions facing drivers in her area. "It's really bad, you have to swerve basically to miss all the potholes," she told GB News.
Karen added: "It's like dodgems, you just got to miss the pothole. It's just a mess."
The situation has become particularly dangerous when accessing driveways, with Karen explaining that a "big, massive pothole" forces drivers to manoeuvre around it while watching for oncoming traffic.
Fellow resident Josh raised grave concerns about the risks to two-wheeled road users. "It's a danger to cyclists and motorcyclists, considering I used to ride myself," he said.
Josh warned of potentially fatal consequences, particularly during night-time journeys. "All it takes is someone potentially driving a bike or a motorbike at night, no bit of vision, one slip and you're gone."
Emergency services are also reportedly affected, with Josh noting: "There's sirens every couple of nights, sometimes probably struggling to get through."
Mark Morrell, also known as Mr Pothole, today announced his retirement from campaigning, and said he has "no faith" in the Government or politicians to "do anything about the roads".
Morrell began his cause 12 years ago after reporting potholes on local roads near his home in Brackley, Northamptonshire, and wanted to "make a difference".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Mr Pothole has ‘no faith’ Labour will fix Britain’s failing roads as he announces retirement
- UK roads to benefit from 'longer-time fixes' with huge £1.6bn boost to tackle 'number one issue'
- Two in three drivers 'plagued' by road faults despite Labour pledging to fix key issues
Announcing his retirement, Morrell claimed that no Government or political party "really wants to do anything about our failing roads", and now wants to focus his time "supporting those closest to me".
Labour has pledged an extra £500million to tackle the pothole problem following pressure from drivers and MPs.
However, David Giles, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, warned that local road conditions have reached an all-time low due to decades of underfunding.
"If we want to see improved conditions, local authorities need sustained, targeted and accountable funding – provided on both a needs and improvement basis – over the long term," he said.
He stressed that proper funding would enable highway engineers to perform timely maintenance and repairs.
This would deliver "better value for money for the public funds allocated and helping to ensure we have a local road network that is safe, keeps people connected and supports economic growth," Giles added.
The scale of Britain's pothole crisis is reflected in the estimated £16billion needed to address the backlog of repairs across England and Wales.
Fixing potholes is the responsibility of local authorities, such as councils or National Highways.
Find Out More...