RAC and RSTA call on Government to mandate preventative road maintenance training
The RAC and the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) have today written to the Government, calling for them to introduce mandatory training for councils who carry out little or no maintenance to prevent potholes forming.
At the start of Pothole Prevention Week (8-14 September), the two organisations have joined forces with a view to getting councils to understand the benefits of low-cost preventative maintenance treatments that seal the road surface from water ingress and keep them in better condition for longer.
The RSTA says many highway authorities are ignoring preventative treatments that typically could be applied from year five after a new road surface is laid to keep roads in good condition for longer. Instead, many are leaving them untreated and allowing potholes to form, before eventually having to replace the top layer of asphalt, often after 10 to 15 years, at a far greater cost.
Government road condition data analysed by the RAC shows half of local highway authorities in England did not use any form of preventative maintenance on their A roads in the 2023/24 financial year. For B, C and unclassified roads, 36% of authorities failed to carry out any of this work*. The same data illustrates a huge decline in the percentage of the overall road network receiving preventative treatments. This is further supported by road maintenance industry figures which show just 34m square metres of surface dressing was applied in 2023, compared to 64m square metres in 2012.**
The reasons for councils not using preventative treatments often relate to a lack of knowledge, misconceptions and misinformation, or a historic negative experience, which has created a reluctance to use these treatments for fear of failure or reputational damage.
The reality, however, is very different. The RSTA says all treatments conform to European or British Standards or are subject to a certification scheme for use on the highway – with contractors required to be members of the National Highways Sector Scheme 13 for Surface Treatments. Furthermore, there are many case studies which demonstrate the performance and longevity of these treatments, some dating back more than 20 years, backed by independent testing and monitoring.
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