Drivers across England can now see how their local highway authority is tackling potholes and other road repairs thanks to a new interactive map published by the Government this week.
The map uses a traffic light rating system to show every council’s rating – either red, amber or green – based on the current road condition, and reveals how each is spending funding received from Government to fix potholes and invest in long-term measures to maintain roads.
In early December last year, the Government announced a “record £7.3 billion” in funding for local roads, promising to fix potholes and prevent new ones, save drivers money on costly repairs and make a visible difference in communities.
Poorly maintained road surfaces, failing drainage, and unsafe footpaths and cycleways [all] disproportionately endanger people walking, cycling, using mobility aids and riding motorbikes.
Luca Straker, campaigns manager at Brake
Responding to the publication of the new interactive map, Luca Straker, campaigns manager at Brake, said:
“Transparency about road maintenance is always welcome, and we know that potholes are a frustrating issue for many drivers. But fixing potholes is about far more than just protecting vehicles.
“Following the Safe System approach to road safety, roads must be designed, built and maintained to account for human error and vulnerability, so that mistakes do not result in serious injury or death. Poorly maintained road surfaces, failing drainage, and unsafe footpaths and cycleways undermine this principle, and disproportionately endanger people walking, cycling, using mobility aids and riding motorbikes.
“We are encouraged to see that the Government’s new council ratings include preventative maintenance, footpaths and cycleways, and recommendations for wider best practice. To align fully with the Safe System, this information must now be used to prioritise long-term investment that proactively reduces risk across the whole network, rather than reactive repairs once damage has already occurred. We urge Government and local highway authorities to ensure this new transparency leads to safer roads by design, embedding the Safe System approach at the heart of all road maintenance and funding decisions.”
