Rain leads to surge in vehicle breakdowns caused by potholes

Wet weather has caused a spike in vehicle breakdowns caused by potholes, new figures revealed.

The daily average number of pothole reports from broken-down drivers was three-and-a-half times higher in February than a year ago, the RAC said. The automotive services company attributed this to the "incredible amount of standing water" on roads that were "hiding potholes".

The RAC said 6,290 of its members mentioned potholes when logging breakdowns last month, compared with 1,842 in February last year. January saw 5,106 cases with a daily average of 165, up from 63 in the same month last year.

England received 42% more rain than usual between December and February, provisional Met Office figures showed, as a series of low-pressure weather systems moved across the UK from the Atlantic, bringing rain. Cornwall, Leicestershire and the West Midlands experienced their wettest winter since comparable records began in 1836.

Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include distorted wheels, damaged shock absorbers and broken suspension springs. Simon Williams, head of policy at RAC, said: "In February there was an incredible amount of standing water and puddles on our roads, many of which were hiding potholes, which sadly too many drivers fell foul of.

"While this amount of rain is hard for the saturated land to cope with, the RAC suspects that poor drainage may also be to blame, possibly as a result of councils not carrying out as much of these works as they have done in the past." Mr Williams said water was "the enemy of the roads.