Potholed Britain

Motorists in the UK are more than twice as likely to suffer damage to their cars than their American counterparts because of poorly maintained roads, according to new research from independent insurer, Warranty Direct on nearly 500,000 vehicles.

The connection between axle, suspension and steering damage and potholed roads could be a key factor in up to a third of all mechanical failures in the UK – costing motorists more than £2.8bn a year in repairs. However, across the Atlantic, the comparable rate of failure falls to 1 in 8 for the same vehicles.

On average, suspension related problems account for 42% of faults sustained by Ford Focuses driven on British roads. This dramatically falls to 17% in the US. It is a similar story with the Audi A4 - 49% compared to 11%.

The data comes as Government revenue from fuel duty continues to rise as the price of a gallon approaches £5.

Although the Department of Transport spent an average of £10,000 per mile in 2006, the US treasury forked out one and a half times more.

“Continuous driving over cracked or uneven road surfaces, or one sudden jolt from a pothole, can cause substantial damage to shock absorbers, springs, upper and lower arms and stabiliser bars,” explains Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct.

Last year, the firm launched campaign website www.potholes.co.uk to campaign for an increase in funding for the estimated £1bn gap in road maintenance.

Warranty Direct analysed the relevant failures on nearly half a million vehicles across a sample of 25 vehicle manufacturers. On average, 12.9% of cars will incur steering, axle or suspension damage that has deteriorated as a result of bad roads in America. That figure leaps to an average of 30.5% here.

Off-road vehicles from Jeep recorded a 47% failure rate in the UK, compared to just 9% percent in the US.

On average, Warranty Direct reports repair bills of £285.39 for suspension repairs in ‘07, but as high as £950.84 in some cases.

“Even though the UK has just 250,000 miles of road compared to America’s 4 million, we are still a poor relation when it comes to road maintenance budget – and we’re paying for it in repair bills,” concluded McClure Fisher.