The UK government has not yet managed to persuade British drivers that it is effectively tackling the issue of potholes, a poll from the Institute of Advanced Motorists shows.
Some 67% of drivers believe that the government is not doing a good enough job with regards to road maintenance, the findings reveal.
The results also point to a lack of communication between councils and motorists, with 34% of respondents believing that their local council is cutting spending on road maintenance. Three in five drivers say they don't know if the funds are being slashed, which indicates that the councils are failing at adequately communicating important information with drivers.
Approximately 52% of motorists are of the opinion that local councils are doing a bad or very bad job of maintaining the local roads, with 57% of males and 49% of females believing this to be the case in their region.
Despite the UK government's additional funding for road repairs, drivers are still broadly unhappy with the progress made in keeping roads safe and in a pleasant condition for driving, says Simon Best, chief executive of the IAM .
The government should make greater efforts to convince drivers that there is a solution to the pothole crisis, he says, adding that there are a number of ways for this to happen – through clear communication on any new policies, the sharing of resources, long-term funding and commitment to eliminating the maintenance backlog of crumbling local roads.
16 April 2014
