Road surfaces in the North West are arguably the worst in England according to new research from The Department for Transport.
The latest survey shows 7.2% of the region’s B roads are classified as ‘red’, higher than any other region. The classification means these roads need urgent repair for potholes, rutting and other unsatisfactory states that could affect road safety and lead to damage of vehicles.
The North West also came an unenviable second for having the worst road surfaces for A roads – 4.2% of all roads – and C roads – 7.9%.
No other region featured in the top two for the poor condition of their A – major – or B and C – minor – roads.
The survey, based on local authority assessment of roads across England during 2019-2021 shows it is unclassified – local – roads that presents the greatest concerns across England, with 17% of their surfaces in need of immediate attention. These roads are for local users rather than traffic passing through and compromise around 60% of all UK roads.
This latest research was undertaken from 2019-2021 and covers nearly 100 local authorities across all regions in England.
Greg Wilson, Founder of car insurance comparison website Quotezone, comments: “The condition of many roads is not just a bugbear for North West motorists, poor road conditions affect driver safety and can increase claims rates which in turn can push insurance premiums up for all drivers in the affected area.
“While incidents like a pothole damaging their car’s suspension should be covered by their insurance, if loose material cracks their windscreen, that won’t always be covered by every car insurance policy. In addition, a driver’s premium may well rise after they claim for damage caused by poorly maintained roads, and their no claims bonus will usually be affected as well.”
Quotezone helps around 3 million users every year, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products including electric car insurance and standard car insurance. Quotezone is recommended by 97% of reviewers.
