21% of cyclists have been involved in an accident due to potholes

A recent study of UK cyclists has found that shockingly, 21% of cyclists have been involved in an accident because of a pothole with 22% resulting in a personal injury – and this was not the only chilling statistic National Pothole Day uncovered.

National Pothole Day has surveyed over a thousand road users, including cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists to understand how potholes affect the everyday road user.

Worryingly, they found that a staggering 88% of cyclists needed to perform a dangerous manoeuvre because a pothole and that 63% of cyclists’ have had their bikes damaged because of potholes, with 35% spending over £100 to repair the damage.

Seeing potholes on our daily commute has become commonplace, but National Pothole Day has found that a shocking 46% of cyclists see more than 15 potholes on their daily journey and 69% of cyclists have had their journey disrupted because of them. It is therefore unsurprising that over 19% of cyclists list potholes as the most annoying aspect of their daily commute – ahead of inconsiderate drivers, punctures and road rage.

One of the aims of National Pothole Day’s survey was to truly understand what changes need to be made to make a real difference to the pothole crisis and to give people the opportunity to express their opinions on the state of UK roads.

On the materials being used to repair potholes, one participant commented: “The problem with potholes and surface defects is they are usually repaired with substandard materials, or workmanship, with the result being in a few weeks or months, the repair breaks up and it’s back to a pothole. About five years ago a 200 metre section of road was resurfaced – lovely!… only within a week it was dug up in several places. Now it looks like a patchwork quilt! On a bike you need to weave to avoid the worst irregularities.”

Despite the additional funding for pothole repairs released last year, with statistics like these, it is clear that the pothole crisis isn’t going away any time soon. The question then emerges, how do make the best use of the additional funding to try to repair the country’s crumbling road network once and for all?

UltraCrete, proud sponsor of National Pothole Day, have been researching and manufacturing pothole repair materials for over 40 years. They have established strong relationships over the past four decades with local authorities and highway contractors up and down the country to develop a suite of first time permanent pothole repair materials.

UltraCrete’s Technical and Site Support Team also carry out regular training with contractors to educate operatives on the best way to apply their materials to guarantee a first time permanent repair.

For more information on National Pothole Day and the results of their survey, please follow #NoMorePotholesUK on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

For further information on UltraCrete and their range of approved first time permanent pothole repair materials, please contact the UltraCrete team by calling +44 (0) 1827 254451, emailing ultracrete@instarmac.co.uk or visiting ultracrete.co.uk.