If your car’s been damaged by a pothole, you’re not alone. New research suggests at worst one in three drivers has suffered in this way; at best the figure is one in five.
And another annual study of the state of the nation’s roads paints a picture of a network that’s gradually crumbling. The report blames years of inconsistent funding combined with extreme weather conditions.
We may not be driving much at the moment but after the warm wet winter, the pothole problem for drivers is still a motoring headache.
A new report has revealed that road maintenance budgets in England have fallen; there are now fewer roads than last year described as being in ‘good’ structural condition; and the rising backlog of repairs means billions of pounds are still needed to bring local roads in England up to scratch.
Imagine if your car could warn you of a pothole like this. You could then avoid it
Think about how useful a pothole warning system in your car might be. We’ve all felt that sickening thump on hitting a pothole. The first thought is frequently whether the wheel is still attached to the car, let alone how damaged. And with cold weather giving way to warmer temperatures, now is the time potholes begin to appear on winter-ravaged roads. But a new virtual map could make hitting potholes a thing of the past.
How Jaguar Land Rover’s pothole spotting car works (Picture © JLR)
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has come up with a pothole spotting car in an effort to prevent harm to vehicles and people. It’s currently estimated that wheel, tyre and accident damage caused by potholes costs the UK around £20m every year. Eventually, JLR hopes information collected by scanners on individual vehicles will transmit information to other cars and beyond. This could enable councils to fix damage to their highways as quickly as possible, saving money and possibly, lives. Continue reading