The weather has always been a topic of gossip among British people. People from other countries are often surprised by the apparent satisfaction we get from talking about a phenomenon that is usually predictable in other countries. In the UK we even joke about it ourselves.
But lately, weather has found a conversational counterpart in Road Conditions.
We all like to complain about the mess of roads around the areas we live in, sometimes with a bit of comedic effect (“The roads in Surrey are so bad, you can’t tell where the highway ends and off-road begins”‘, and other similar gems ). More often than not, it’s not funny, to the point of being downright dangerous.
We all like to imagine our particular region or county is the worst, but thanks to new research compare marketswe can be sure.
Topping the list of the UK’s worst counties is (drum roll please…) Derbyshire. Research based on government data shows 85 per cent of roads in this Midland county need improvement.
Second on the dubious list is the city of Bristol, with 80% of the city’s roads deemed to need repair or improvement. Blackburn in the North West rounded out the podium, with 72.5 per cent of the roads requiring attention.
The figures are based on gov.uk’s Road Condition Indicator Ratings report, with roads classified as “red” (which requires further investigation to determine if repairs are needed immediately) and “amber” (which may require repairs soon).
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Now onto the best areas (sorry to say this, but if you live in one of these local authority areas it’s time to stop complaining about your local roads). The top four are all in the North East, with Sunderland topping the list with 88.5 per cent of roads in good condition. Following closely behind in joint third place are Middlesbrough and Gateshead, with a score of 86.5%.
Although we’re taking this topic somewhat lightly here, the dangers that potholes can pose are a serious concern.
bikeweek “Battle of the Potholes” Series At the end of 2023, people injured in crashes caused by potholes were heard, with reports that the road maintenance budget in England and Wales was £1.3 billion.
Damaged roads are particularly dangerous for cyclists at this time of year, with more standing water around and frost exacerbating the situation. Read our guide on how to drive into potholes.
The Labor government has pledged to fill an extra million potholes a year and increase the road maintenance budget by around 50% to £1.6bn.
