Worsening Weather Conditions Could Leave Drivers Facing 25 More Years of Pot Holes

Asda Money reveals that UK motorists could face being blighted with potholes on roads for another quarter of a century after scientists revealed that the coming years could bring even more erratic weather conditions, putting a heavy toll on the UK’s network of roads.

Sir John Beddington, the UK’s Chief Scientist, has argued that current levels of CO2 in the atmosphere could cause yet more droughts and flooding in the coming 25 years, potentially leaving road surfaces in the UK looking worse for wear.

Pot holes present even more bad news for motorists as research shows that 8,682,000 motorists (27%) have been forced to swerve to avoid a pothole, a figure that has increased by 11.9% over the last two years, when an estimated 7,757,000 motorists were forced to move out of the path of a pot hole.

A staggering £1bn is spent on repairing vehicle damage caused by pot holes each year, putting a further strain on motorists’ budgets.

Further research has shown that poorly maintained road surfaces cause 8 million cars to suffer from suspension and steering damage on an annual basis – which equates to one motorist being affected each four seconds.

With a recent report suggesting that the backlog of pot hole repairs on roads in the South East could take more than 20 years to clear3, it is even more important to ensure that drivers have breakdown insurance in place to ensure that they are covered for any repairs as a result of pothole damage.

Asda Breakdown Cover includes home start, roadside assistance and UK recovery all for just £70 a year.

Notes to Editors:

1. http://www.sourcewire.com/news/77013/uk-motorists-brace-themselves-for-years-of-potholes-and-craters
2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257211/1bn-repair-Britains-roads-rain-creates-countless-potholes-causes-carriageways-collapse.html
3. http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/2013-03-13/millions-needed-to-fix-potholes/

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About Asda UK Breakdown Cover

• Independently rated as 5 star quality by industry experts Defaqto
• Over 3,000 breakdown professionals ready to help
• 76% of cars fixed at the roadside*
• Average response time under 42 minutes^
• 98% of customers satisfied with our service~
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* Fix rate of 76.3% taken from 108089 invoices during Jan-Dec 2012
^ Response time of 41.9 minutes taken from 61317 customer questionnaires during Jan-Dec 2012
~Customer satisfaction of 98.2% taken from 61317 customer questionnaires during Jan-Dec 2012
**Based on Asda UK Breakdown Cover compared to the nearest equivalent level of cover from the AA and RAC. Competitor’s prices include discount available on 01/05/13 (online and call centre).

Asda Money is a trading name of Asda Financial Services Limited. Asda Financial Services Limited uses a selection of companies to provide its products and services. Asda Financial Services Limited and Asda Stores Limited act as Introducer Appointed Representatives to Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited for Breakdown Cover. Britannia and Britannia Rescue are registered trademarks and are trading styles of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies. Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited, registered in England and Wales number 3232514 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, register number 202965. Registered address for all Liverpool Victoria companies: County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2NF.