Potholes on the mend but drivers still face alignment woes

Britain’s pothole problem looks to finally be in decline as many local authorities increase their investment in road maintenance projects. Last year local authorities were encouraged to tackle the worsening state of our roads by bidding for a portion of the government’s £168 million pothole fund.

But while the number of pothole repairs has increased, so too has the number of the delays caused by road works. The Independent recently reported that as many as 33 per cent of all car journeys in the country are now affected by road maintenance projects following a freedom of information request. As a result it is thought that drivers are increasingly using minor roads to avoid such delays. And so a vicious circle begins as the state of these back roads worsens while authorities concentrate on repairing key routes. So for the time being at least, it looks like potholes might be here to stay.

In other pothole-related news, Jaguar Land Rover has announced that it is developing new technology to warn drivers of hazards in the road. The ‘pothole alert’ system scans the road ahead and highlights potential problems and uneven surfaces. The technology then shares the location of the pothole though the cloud so other drivers can take evasive action.

Jaguar Land Rover hopes that by implementing the technology, drivers can cut their annual vehicle repair bills, specifically, bills to repair and replace tyres damaged by potholes. It’s an issue we see all too often, and while a particularly vicious pothole might not puncture your tyre, it can cause unseen wheel alignment problems.

Incorrect wheel alignment as a result of hitting a pothole can cause premature tyre wear, increased fuel consumption and places additional strain on your suspension system – a costly problem to rectify. Correctly aligned tyres can also save you money in the long run, adding up to 12,000 miles to the life of the tyres. We recommend getting your vehicle's wheel alignment checked every year. However, if you hit a large pothole and experience wheel misalignment symptoms such as steering pulling to the left or right, or notice your tyres are wearing unevenly, call into your local Kwik Fit for a wheel alignment check to ensure your alignment is optimised.

At Kwik Fit we are installing Hunter four-wheel alignment equipment in a growing number of our centres. Having recently installed our 500th Hunter vehicle aligner, Hunter tracking is widely available across the UK. Hunter Hawkeye alignment technology is widely regarded as one of the most accurate wheel alignment solutions available and uses a series of high-definition imaging sensors to measure the position of each wheel. Find your nearest Kwik Fit centre.