SCOTLAND’S worst road for potholes has been revealed thanks to freedom of information laws.
Great Western Road, which runs west from Glasgow, was the focus of more pothole complaints than any other in Scotland in 2023, according to information requests put in for comparison platform Confused.com.
The requests, which were sent to all Scottish local authorities, further showed that the A703 between Peebles and Leadburn in the Scottish Borders was second-worst for pothole complaints.
Irvine Road in East Ayrshire came third, according to the figures.
Scotland's top ten worst roads for potholes:
In total, more than 123,000 potholes were reported to councils in Scotland last year, Confused.com reported.
UK-wide polling further found that 92% of Brits have driven over a pothole, 22% reported damaging their vehicle in doing so, and the majority (58%) said the potholes in the roads had never been worse.
A majority of people (53%) also said that it should be a legal requirement for councils to repair a pothole after it’s been reported.
The most common damages caused by potholes include punctured tyres (57%), damaged suspension (35%) or damaged tracking (32%), according to the polling.
To repair these damages, drivers said they had to pay out £169, on average.
Louise Thomas, a motor expert with Confused.com car insurance, said: “Although the harsh winter months are almost behind us, potholes are still proving problematic for drivers. That’s as pothole reports in [Scotland] reached more than 123,000 last year. And across the UK, data shows how reports totalled almost 1 million – a 24% increase compared to 2020.
“There’s no denying that the UK has a pothole problem, and the UK Government has dedicated more funding as a result. But for some drivers this isn’t enough. Especially if they live in high risk areas, where wet and colder weather means problems are more likely to arise.
“If you see a pothole while driving, it’s important to report it to the local council straight away. Even if it didn’t damage your car, you could help to protect other drivers who might come into contact with it at a later date. Potholes can cause damage to vehicles, so the sooner it’s fixed, the safer road users will be.”
A survey of 2000 UK drivers was conducted between 5 and 9 February 2024 by OnePoll on behalf of Confused.com.
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