Potholes

A subject that I am considering going with is potholes. Due to the icy weather the roads have got rapidly worse and I think this is a subject, although slightly mundane, that many people can connect with. I like this topic because it is less serious and will allow me to be slightly more creative with the visuals.

Some statistics I have managed to collect...

• With potholes estimated to cause as many as 1 in 5 mechanical failures on UK roads and costing motorists an estimated £320 million every year
• Potholes are a major factor in causing axle & suspension failure, which counts for a third of mechanical issues on UK roads and costs British motorists an estimated £2.8 billion every year.
• Authorities currently pay out more than £50 million in compensation claims due to poor roads
• Road maintenance in England and Wales is underfunded by around 50%, or £1 billion every year.
• At current maintenance levels, the average frequency for a road to be resurfaced in England is once every 65 years. In Wales it is once every 81 years.
• If all authorities were given the budgets they need to fix their roads, it would take English authorities 11 years to catch up with the current backlog, and Welsh authorities 16 years.
• Latest figures show compensation payouts for accidents involving potholes at £45million.