MOTORISTS in Suffolk are among the worst hit when it comes to damage caused to cars by pothole-riddled roads, new figures have revealed.
MOTORISTS in Suffolk are among the worst hit when it comes to damage caused to cars by pothole-riddled roads, new figures have revealed.
More than one in ten of the county's vehicle owners have had to fork out for repairs to wrecked suspension and axles after driving over the huge craters which pepper our carriageways.
The national average is only six per cent.
The statistics, published by campaign website potholes.co.uk, reveal that the average cost of fixing the damage runs to �240.
Suffolk is ranked as the 11th worst county out of 56 in terms of the volume of cars requiring work due to poor road quality - and has the unenviable number one spot when it comes to the UK's southern counties.
The data comes from insurance claims over an eight-year period.
Duncan McClure Fisher, from potholes.co.uk, said the epidemic mainly affected northern UK road networks.
He added: “Either continuous driving over cracked or uneven road surfaces or the sudden jolting of a deep pothole can cause damage to shock absorbers, springs, upper and lower arms and stabiliser bars and this appears to be happening more in Scotland than anywhere else.”
The recent winter chill saw numbers of motorists reporting potholes in Suffolk rocket fivefold. Potholes form where water penetrates the road, freezes and expands, breaking the surface apart.
As revealed in The Evening Star yesterday, an extra �1million is to be pumped into Suffolk's transport budget to fix the county's road surfaces.
The county council is to make the cash available after one of the harshest winters in two decades caused tarmac to shred.
County council roads and transport chief Guy McGregor said the temporary work to patch up potholes had been a success but admitted a wet April and May could see the problem reoccur.
However, he added: “The people of Suffolk can be assured that the roads will be in safe condition and plans are in place to ensure the damage will not have a long-term affect.”
Have you been affected by the increase in potholes? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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