Potholes are a pain not just to user of the car park and road they’re on, but the person or organisation responsible for the repair. What starts off small can soon grow, becoming a much larger, costly problem, not only for repair, but the potential damage claims that can come from them.
With the help of the people who know it best, pothole repair contractors, they can be easily fixed, quickly and efficiently. Still not convinced? In this article, we dive deeper into how and why you should focus on dealing with potholes as quickly as possible.
Key Takeaways
- Potholes don’t get better; they only get worse. The longer you leave it, the bigger it will mostly likely get, leading to higher repair costs and a bigger risk to the public.
- Keeping on top of potholes helps maintain your road surface. Extending the life, so delaying the need for full resurfacing, it’ll save you money for the long term.
- A pothole-ridden car park or access road leaves a poor impression. Maintaining a safe, tidy surface reflects professionalism and care, while improving accessibility and safety
Start small, grow fast
With vehicles bumping over them and wheels churning them up, a small pothole can quickly turn into a large problem. The longer it’s left, the more costly the repair is likely to be, and the risk it presents on the increases, especially on high traffic public road.
If you drive or cycle on public roads, you’ll know it yourself: when you see a pothole, you try to swerve to avoid it. Doing so increases the risk of accidents, causing users to lose control, swerving off the road, or worse, heading into oncoming traffic.
Repair pays for itself
Pothole repair isn’t a permanent fix, but rather a fast effective way to delay the need for resurfacing, which can be expensive. The average cost to have a pothole repair in the UK is £60, which for resurfacing, you can expect to pay that per metre, if not more.
Even in low speed areas, potholes can cause a lot of damage to vehicles. If you’re responsible for the maintenance, you could be liable for those repair costs. In 2024, potholes caused £1.7 billion worth of damage to vehicles in the UK alone.
Impacts your organisation’s reputation
If you offer parking to the general public, you don’t want a car park full of potholes. Not only could you be responsible for any damage caused, but it could put people off coming to you entirely. This applies if you’re running a school, a charity, a cafe, or a church.
Having a nice, well-maintained car park and road that leads to it gives your organisation a good perfect impression, and reflects your ability to notice and resolve details. For that alone, the potholes are worth fixing.
Safety and accessibility matter too. An uneven, pothole-filled surface increases the risk of trips and falls, and can make access difficult for people with disabilities, including wheelchair users.
Extends the life of your surface
As we’ve already mentioned, leaving potholes as they are will only result in them getting worse over time. With that, if you don’t keep on top of them, the life of your surface will continue to deteriorate and will eventually need resurfacing.
Alongside pothole repairs, there are other ways to extend the life of a road. Surface dressing is a common technique where a bitumen binder is sprayed onto the surface, followed by a layer of stone chippings that are compressed into place. This helps prevent potholes from forming.
Here To Help With Pothole Repair
As specialist surfacing contractors with depots in both Peterborough and Romford, we’re here to help with all your surfacing needs, from complete resurfacing to repairs, wherever you may be in the UK. Equipped with an experienced team of pothole repair contractors, we provide fast, efficient service in as little as 48 hours. Get in touch with us today to learn more.
