3.0 The state of our roads

The poor condition and lack of adequate maintenance of local roads remains the issue of biggest concern among drivers, this year’s Report on Motoring has found. But concerns appear to be worsening, with 14% citing local roads as their top concern, up from 10% in 2015.

Motorists are more sanguine about the state of major roads and motorways, but with an increase in traffic volumes recorded over the past 12 months, it is no surprise that congestion and the availability of parking have become more significant concerns.

And while there is general agreement that the authorities are doing their best to minimise the delays caused by accidents, more could be done to keep motorists informed about the impact of major incidents.

The RAC continues to emphasise the need for politicians and highways authorities to avoid focussing solely on ‘filling potholes’, as many policy announcements seem to do. Instead a long-term approach should be adopted that prioritises preventative maintenance that avoids potholes developing in the first place. Almost all journeys start and finish on local roads, even if the bulk of the journey is by rail, sea or air. As such, the poor state of local roads impacts on businesses, individuals and the national economy. The RAC therefore believes that all local roads should be brought into the scope of the National Infrastructure Commission, the body which was set up in 2015 with Lord Adonis as its first chairman.

There is also strong support for targeted improvements to local roads, such as changes in road design to reduce bottlenecks:

15% of motorists say this should be the top priority for investment, while 70% (66% in 2015) think it should be a top-five priority.

There is still a significant percentage of drivers (45% – no change on 2015) who would be willing to pay higher levels of tax provided the extra revenues were ring-fenced to improve roads. Meanwhile 40% of motorists believe current road taxation levels are a ‘fair price to pay for the personal freedom that driving gives them’ – a sharp rise on the 2015 figure of 33%.