Most drivers want potholes fixed within a week and some say a day

MORE THAN three-quarters of drivers say potholes should be filled within a week, a survey has found.

The AA poll of more than 18,000 motorists also found that almost a fifth think 24 hours is the maximum time it should take for repairs to be completed.

Councils are expected to fill the most dangerous potholes within a few hours, but it can take several months to fix defects deemed less significant.

Last month, a coroner urged Surrey County Council to reconsider how it rates the severity of potholes after a cyclist was killed. Ralph Brazier, 52, was thrown from his bike in Weybridge on March 1 last year after riding over a pothole which had previously been given an ineffective repair and was assessed by the council as only requiring further attention within five working days.

AA president Edmund King called for the “worsening condition of our road network” to be addressed quickly to prevent deaths of vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists, and reduce compensation payouts for vehicle damage.

He said: “It can’t be right that one council could fill a lowerrisk pothole within three weeks, while a neighbouring council needs four weeks.”

A recent study by the Ashphalt Industry Alliance found that local authorities need more than £12bn of funding to bring the road network up to scratch.

The gap between the amount councils say they received in the last year and what they require to keep roads in reasonable order is almost £730m.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents over 370 councils, said: “Councils take the maintenance of their roads very seriously.”