Three quarters of RAC patrols (77%) believe that the quality of Britain’s roads has deteriorated, leading to an upturn in vehicle damage and creating concern amongst motorists during an already difficult time, according to a new study released today.
According to the findings, RAC patrols believe a decline in the quality of the nation’s roads can be directly attributed to an upturn in breakdowns complaining of damage to tyres (76%), vehicle suspension (56%), underbody (31%) and chipped windscreens (51%). Punctures were reported as the single number one cause of breakdowns for RAC members in 2007, with over 200,000 call outs.
Breakdown Britain is the UK’s most authoritative report providing a first hand view from the road as seen by RAC’s Patrols who are a constant presence on the nation’s roads, listening to the real issues facing motorists and our roads.
More than half of Patrols (59%) believe that poor quality roads are also having a detrimental effect on the driving experiences of motorists, making it less enjoyable and creating anxiety when embarking on a car journey. This is despite the fact that four out of five patrols (80%) reported that roadworks in their area have increased, suggesting that road improvement programmes are failing to deliver against expectations in terms of road quality.
Despite £44bn collected in motoring taxes last year, just £7bn was spent on improving Britain’s roads - showing that there is a real disconnect with the investment that motorists are making in their vehicles and the response from the Government to help them maintain this.
It’s not only the added costs associated with damage to vehicles that are affecting Britain’s motorists. RAC Patrols reported that car owners are feeling the financial pinch due to the rising costs of motoring in other areas. In fact, over half (57%) fed back that fuel costs are the number one concern of RAC members they are called out to and that some people are even finding that they are struggling to maintain their vehicles. Twelve percent of Patrols stated that customers are now less able to take their vehicle for an annual service.
Iain Vale, RAC Patrol of the Year, comments: “Motoring seems to have become the third ‘sin tax’ and motorists are really getting a raw deal. Not only are drivers feeling the financial pinch, despite recent fuel price cuts, they also have to contend with poor quality roads which can cause costly repairs to their vehicle.
“We’re calling for the Government to increase the level of investment to improve the standard of roads to reflect the revenue collected in motoring taxation - providing British motorists with the service they both deserve and continue to pay for.”
Other key findings from the RAC Breakdown Britain report include:
• 69% of Patrols think a significant number of call outs are caused by motorists mis-interpreting warning lights and assuming the vehicle isn’t safe to drive
• 62% of RAC Patrols regularly attend breakdowns where the member is unable to diagnose the problem
• 48% of Patrols have been told by a member that the breakdown is the fault of their kids messing around
Iain Vale continues: “In the current economic climate motorists could save precious time and money by having a better understanding of their vehicle. By regularly checking the oil, water and tyre pressure when filling up at the petrol station, motorists could reduce the risk of having to make a call out or having more serious problems in the long run.”
