SUVs are making Britain’s potholes worse, say scientists | Transport
Experts have warned that drivers choosing SUVs are exacerbating the pothole problem; studies have shown that hundreds of thousands of people are buying larger cars to navigate damaged roads.
The cumulative effect of the increasing number of heavier vehicles is a contributing factor to the worsening of potholes in Britain, scientists said.
SUVs made up more than half of the 2 million new cars sold in the UK last year, and a smaller but growing proportion of the 7 million second-hand cars sold.
Recent surveys have shown that almost one in eight drivers in some parts of the country, including London and Yorkshire, are choosing to buy an SUV or a heavier car, partly due to concerns about road conditions.
According to Opinium research conducted for Kwikfit, 6% of drivers nationwide said they were influenced to buy or purchase an SUV primarily by the condition of the roads; This rate doubled among those who damaged their vehicles.
But experts said these buyers contribute to the problem they are trying to avoid; Moreover, their vehicles will not be immune to damage.
The increasing weight of cars was deteriorating road surfaces, although the primary cause of pothole formation remained the freezing and thawing of rainwater in wet winters, and the heaviest vehicles such as trucks were likely to cause immediate damage.
Assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Leeds. Ali Rahman said: “The increasing prevalence of SUVs further increases pothole formation, as higher axle loads increase surface stresses, crack formation and road wear. They contribute to a secondary but growing share of the problem, especially in cities where the road network is not designed for heavier passenger vehicles.”
Prof Anna Goodman, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “A typical SUV exerts around five times more force on the road than a typical passenger car. The dramatic shift towards SUVs over the last 20 years (from 3% to over 30% of cars on the road in the UK) is expected to play some part in increasing wear and tear damage.”
Prof Christian Brand, emeritus professor of transport at Kellogg College, Oxford, said SUVs were typically 200-300kg heavier than hatchbacks or saloons. While a single truck can cause as much damage as many cars, “the rapid growth in SUVs means that their cumulative impact, particularly on urban roads with lighter construction, cannot be ignored and is increasingly relevant to local maintenance pressures”.
The Institute of Civil Engineers said heavier vehicles, including electric cars, were causing potholes and reducing the lifespan of roads.
London is considering charging extra for large SUVs because of the space they take up as well as the additional safety risk they pose to other road users. Transport for London is carrying out studies on the impact of possible measures on safety and congestion before announcing them.
Sadiq Khan, the London mayor’s spokesman, said: “As part of its investigations, TfL will look at the full impact of the continued growth in size and weight of these large SUVs, including the impact they will have on the condition and condition of London’s roads.”
The cost of repairing all potholes and local roads in England and Wales has reached a record high of £18.6 billion, according to an annual industry estimate from the Asphalt Industry Alliance, a road repair trade body.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Is it any wonder people are turning to rugged off-road focused vehicles with the shocking condition of many roads? Big wheels with all-terrain tires are a better choice for jumping over potholes but rarely come with smaller, lighter cars that drivers can choose from as perfectly suited to the trips they need to take.”
AA Head of Roads Policy Jack Cousens said: “Unfortunately all vehicles are at the mercy of potholes; no matter what someone drives, potholes cause damage.”
