The state of British roads mirrors the state of the country as a whole which is now a complete shitshow. Don't see things getting better anytime soon as I agree with Damien that improving the state of the roads is not considered important but politicians who appear to hate the motorist. EV's which are way heavier that an equivalent petrol car is just going to make things worse.
You are 100% right. Sky high taxes, collapsed public services, basically a welfare state on life support. Who could have guessed that hundreds of billions blown on covid would have resulted in this shower. Who knew. Amazing really.
When I was younger I used to tell my cousins abroad that the roads in the UK were amazing and perfect. My cousins lived in a village near the mountains and the roads were like donkey tracks. Fast forward nearly 30 years and their roads going in and out of the village are PERFECTLY smooth and wide enough (just about) for 2 regular cars and the roads I used to rave about in the UK now are as bad as the donkey roads from 30 years ago that we used to mock. How time changes.
Damian, don't forget the sunken manhole cover. As it's not technically a pothole these can be a permanent feature of a daily commute & are rarely rectified. I call these the 'Royal Chicanes' as they are mainly immune from investigation.
One of the main reasons there are so many potholes is because of the criminally shoddy repairs to existing ones. On a country road i drive along there was a 1 metre diameter by 9 inch deep pothole that was so called "fixed" by the local council about 6 months ago. Now it's almost reverted back to how the original pothole was.
Cars are heavier. Road damage increases by the fourth power law, so a 2 tonne car does 16x as much damage as a 1 tonne car. Worse still, people respond to potholes by buying huge, heavy 4x4’s that can handle them. Vicous circle.
@@Tailspin80 toyota corolla 2000 1,1T toyota corolla 2024 1,8T.and video about guy driving 2,5T mercedes s600 question himself why roads were better 20 years ago 🤣
@@glock888 Yes, more weight, more power, higher cornering forces, better brakes. It all adds up to more. Stress and damage to the road surface. Having said that I do think hard up councils are taking shortcuts with road maintenance, such as not resurfacing properly and not repairing potholes properly.
I suffered pothole damage to a brand new tyre - 200 miles on it. Claimed against Kent County Council whom were totally bureaucratic in terms of detailed form filling and then rejected my claim saying they inspect the road twice a year and that's all they are obligated to do! Impossible to call them they basically don't give a damn.
I’ve got the same issue with the City of Edinburgh council. My front NS tyre blew out and cracked my alloy as a result of MASSIVE pothole. The battle lines have been drawn and I’m taking it all the way.
Hit a pothole heading into Northumberland a few years ago and it shattered the tyre and the alloy. I rang the council and recovery and whilst the car was being loaded onto a lorry the council came to fill in the hole. Luckily I recorded them doing it as the council then tried to deny the pothole existed. Eventually got compensation but still left me out of pocket as it wasn’t anywhere near the cost of the damage
Back in the 80s our local council in Guildford made all our council road workers redundant and sold off the equipment and shut down the the department before that our local roads around Guildford were resurfaced about every 10 to 12 years and were in good condition. When this happened I can remember a council worker telling me in about 25 years our roads round here will fall apart , the man was right!! 5 years ago I had to take the council to the small claims court for damage done to a Focus ST 2 x alloy wheels 2 x tyres and replace passenger side air bag all done on a pothole costing just under 2k, the council tried fight it but lost, so take them to court if they wont pay you will win..
All 80s councils did the same. It wasn't cost effective to keep road workers fully employed when only working 80% of the time. They put them out to contracts which was a much cheaper. The main problem started when big business moaned at government for higher wagon weights, more goods less cost,,, to them. The asphalt should have been replaced with a stronger grade before going from 28 tonnes to 44 tonnes on wagon weights.
Cycling north out of Mentmore in Bucks last week. There’s a downhill section where the whole road surface has disintegrated. I hit it at about 20 mph, couldn’t brake as I was hanging on for my life. I couldn’t even see because my eyeballs were banging around in their sockets. Much to my surprise I didn’t crash. Reported it on FixMyStreet and the council closed the report saying it would be fixed next year. They should close the road before someone dies.
@@TheCarGuysTV Yes, it’s just an inconvenience in a car by comparison. You can still brake and steer but on the bike I was basically out of control. At least Stoke Mandeville was just up the road!
Well done Damian for putting out this very relevant and important video. Not as “sexy” as a supercar hooning video but much more needed. I really hope this gets views and traction. Do more stuff like this!
Just move to gorgeous Spain like I did, Damien. Amazing roads in perfect condition, fantastic weather, incredible food, great people, astounding architecture and culture... 🇪🇦😍👌🏻
For those of use living on the continent it was always well known that if you take your car high up into the alps then you kind of expect rough surfaces, but that's logical as the surfaces have to endure freezing conditions and frequent repairs. But it is also well known that if you travel to the UK, the same road conditions exist but there it is just due to a lack of investment because your weather is nowhere near the same as in the alps.
Damian, thank you for making this video and for bringing light to this awful situation. Years ago, I had a modified and lowered VW bug that had a hot motor with a bolt on sump to add oil capacity. I ran over a horrible pothole in the city of Long Beach California and the sump was completely torn off my engine block. Oil spilled everywhere and the city sued me for hazardous waste cleanup monies. I filed a cross complaint and won it in court after I had documented the mess using witness testimony that the damage had been there for several months and had not been fixed even after it was reported several times. The city had to pay to replace my engine.
I guess it’s hard to measure if things are actually getting worse, but it certainly feels like it when it comes to potholes! One thing I don’t think you mentioned is one of the causes: heavier vehicles are more taxing on the roads. With so many driving around in unnecessarily large SUVs and now EVs, this situation will not be getting better. And yes, the lack of maintenance is dire here in the UK. 😖
It’s a brave man that takes his German luxo barge on a pothole search mission, Damian we appreciate your sacrifice 😂 A few more general rant videos wouldn’t go amiss, just sprinkled in amongst the car content 👍
You are doing a great service by highlighting this massive problem which is a national disgrace. In West Sussex, the council seems to think all they have to do to avoid liability for damage is to paint a white circle around a pothole. But at night they are all invisible. I hit one last night outside Littlehampton that left me amazed that no damage was done to my car -- at least no visible damage. We are taxed to hilt, and nothing in the country works. Potholes are simply one example of the decay that has set in in the UK. Its beyond serious.
We need to start demonstrating like the French. If we withheld council tax and VED it would get the attention of the local councils and politicians. We shouldn’t have to pay through the nose for such a rubbish road network. Politicians aren’t scared of the public and they need a wake up call !
Thanks for making this video. I found it very entertaining, but also extremely sad, with the seemingly couldn't care less attitude of MP's and local county councils ,resulting in the deterioration of the basic services and infrastructure.If this continues for a few more years , many roads will have to be closed.
Great video and its pathetic the way they do substandard repairs (pour some low standard tarmac in and tap it down) some in Sussex return less than 2 weeks later. One cost me £800 in suspension damage, not happy 😢
Watched a retired Highways engineer consultant interview and he says the main reason we are getting so many potholes is because the old practise of Tar and Chippings which he says used to protect against potholes for a minimum of 15yrs is a victim of cutbacks. He explained the tar in liquid form sealed the cracks against water penetration and the chippings dressed the surface against premature wear. It used to annoy us driving on freshly laid chippings but the practise needs bringing back urgently.
During January lost offside front and rear tyres to one large pothole with damaged side walls and due to another pothole front nearside tyre again with side wall damage plus cracked alloy. Total cost £480.00. The roads are just one area this country has gone to the dogs, it's very depressing and we the people need to do something about it.
Surely (Along with the Great EV lie) your best ever work Damian! 👏🏻 As both a cyclist & Porsche driver, I am too terrified to go out in either locally at the moment as our South Cheshire roads are just too dangerous! in 2016 I campaigned against the local Authority (Cheshire East) for months with no success, despite doing all the work locating every local pothole with photos which took me weeks...so in the end lost my rag completely and went to the local press who plastered the story in a double-page spread complete with pictures: this resulted in a meeting with the head of highways from the local council in front of my local Parish council & 2 months later they were all repaired. But this is wrong and a national disgrace. Again brilliant video, well done 👍🏻...but what is the best way to get some national action?
well done great work. it's safer riding a mountain bike bike than riding on the roads now. Funny how round here they have £10m to take out a roundabout for no reason and put traffic lights in when all the roads surrounding are full of craters.
What is the best way to get some national action ? Contact your MP ... best to arrange to meet the animal at one of its' surgeries. Get friends to do the same. Labour intend to drive us off of the road. The Tories have just given up doing the best they can to facilitate their friends and themselves squirrelling as much money abroad before the forthcoming general election. One thing that we can do is annoy them and then annoy them some more .... or form a political party of national salvation to stand against the entire lot of them. The majority of the electorate own, drive and attempt to park petrol, diesel or LPG fuelled cars, and most of those who don't, habitually travel as passengers in petrol, diesel or LPG fuelled cars but we are being screwed into the ground by unelected 'crat wasters who have oused out of certain anti-car universities and have slithered and slimed themselves into the bodies of our local authorities eating them from the inside. Our problem is that we don't complain enough. Far more of us must act like the anti-immigration Irish have in the last few months and like the anti-ULEZ people in London. Let us block the gates to local highways depots or lay pyramids of concrete on the roads approaching after they have gone home which would set sufficiently before the toads arrive the following morning. Mix 4 or 5 buckets at home and then go to the road near the depot. Each bucket should give 3 substantial molehills. If 5 or 6 people co-ordinated the action, a very uncomfortable ride could be created for the subversives. Putting glue in the gate locks is always good for a laugh.
We went for a 3 week tour of Italy , France and Belgium last year . We had a great time on great roads . Upon returning to the U.K. within an hour we hit an asteroid crater on the a1 at 70mph . Front shocker was destroyed , very annoying but not as annoying as discovering the bilstein shocks and springs were not available in the U.K. . I had to replace all four corners with a standard set up , cost me £2000 ! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr🤬🤮
Hitting the UK roads after travelling in France fees like entering a third world country. The accompanying congestion and roadworks completes the misery
The 1/2 mile road through the affluent village in the Vale of Belvoir where I live has had highway maintenance carry out 72 visits in seven years to repair potholes. They bodge repairs so they can get paid to fix them again six months later. The road into Bakhmut is in better condition!!
I work in a local authority highway maintenance department and we are implementing what is called a managed decline of the road network. The limited resources are going on the major roads and bus routes. Also we do less verge litter picking and drainage maintenance.
Great video just highlighting how bad the UK's roads have become. My local authority recently seem more intent on re-painting the white lines everywhere leaving nearby potholes untouched!
I'm also a cyclist as well as a car lover and I report potholes on the council's website regularly, as I encounter many on my bike travels. East Riding of Yorkshire Council is very good and fill them in within 24 hours or so usually. One was filled in down my road recently within 48 hours without me actually reporting it. Get online folks and batter the council's website.
Ive had completely switch my route to my work at least 10+ miles out of my way just to find a road surface with minimal lesser dangerous potholes because the narrow lanes I used to use (because of the minimal options from A to B) got so bad after the flooding earlier this year I got tired of the focus needed to keep a mental map of them all. A huge one I liked to call a moon crater (although nothing like the one in this video) appeared very quickly one day and took me by surprise. I hit it at a good rate of knots, my TPMS went off in seconds, tyre destroyed, no spare only puncture repair fluid, had to sit in an inn in bumfuck nowhere for 4 hours waiting for a recovery. Its time road tax was ringfenced for actual roads. We also need a regulatory agency, DoT or something, that takes reports of damage from potholes and provides compensation directly, THEN fines the council responsible for where it happened a significant multiple of the cost of the damage for every single incident. I reckon shit would get fixed real quick.
Loved it Damien!. What a great episode.. at first I thought you were describing the roads here in Ozland. But then when we went on the drive I realised you're far worse..roads in Australia have been disintegrating for years now. I did a road trip recently where they signposted a 100kmh road down to 60 to try and mitigate the problem. As you say, politicians wasting money on unnecessary things, and people. How is it that when we had less people in Australia with a lower GDP and less tax we had better roads. Politicians, that's how. Keep it up.. PS.. is that a GS? Couldn't quite make it out. Missing the Watch Guys.😢
When I worked for BMW I remember the company refused to sell 20” and 21” alloy wheels on the 2012 7 Series in some states as the damage was so extensive.
there was a section of road here that was collapsed at the edge the same as your film. no traffic lights were installed , it was left until there was a head long collision before it was fixed.
Damian, don't get me started. My worst was two $600 tyres in a week and the first one my road side assistance took my car to a tyre shop that catered for semi trailers only and refused to take it to a second shop to get it fixed. Luckily the tyre shop staff were brilliant and were able to help me by sending the wheel to one of their other shops having a new tyre fitted and returned and fitted the wheel to the car and I was able to carry on my way to work. My pet name starts with "mother". Cheers 🍻
Great video, I've noticed over the last few years that the state of our roads are getting beyond useable and as you quite rightly stated with all the taxes on our cars we should have billiard table type surfaces.
This is the state of most roads I drive on a daily basis. Even with a old 4x4 it still makes me wince every time I catch them. Why do us motorists tolerate this is beyond me. Great video. What are us car guys and girls going to do to improve our roads?
What a brilliant way of explaining a national disgrace, great fun to watch yet very serious topic 😆👍🏻 We need a lot more stuff like this to try and get this problem off the bottom of the list of priorities of those in charge of our roads…but I’m not going to hold my breath on that one 🙄
The roads being shitty is in large part of the politicians spending money on "pork barrel" crap instead of where it should be spent. I know that in the state of California, which we fled 2 1/2 years ago, the legislature used gas tax money which is legally supposed to go towards roads for many other uses.
I'm hearing you! If it makes you feels better, they are not much better in Australia! Just rode my GS motorbike in Victoria for a week long trip (4000kms) and had a few near touchdowns due to the very poor roads. Terrible. Authorities are happy to just say; 'slow down' , we have no money, or we are upgrading the footpaths, etc, etc
Great video, about time with someone with your kind of following raises this issue which affects us all. It’s why I do all my decent trips in Europe now
In New York city the roads seem to be paved with old bubble gum. Humps, bumps, cracks, dips, ridges, holes, miniature mountain ranges. It's a little bit of everything that could destroy your car.
Good episode and nice graphics! I am not surprised most people now drive single family dwellings with supposed off-road capability, given the state of tarmac. Though apparently, vehicle weight contributes to the problem.
The main roads in Glasgow are like that . I did 1k of damage to my truck 3 years ago on a sunken drain & it's still not fixed . At nighttime in the rain on my motorbike I'm close to shitting myself hoping for the best 😡
Inspired by your video I have just reported a hole I call The Pit to Hants CC. It’s in the A35 out of Lyndhurst, covers most of both carriageways and is a concave version of a “sleeping policemen”. It must cause havoc for Meridien Modena taking cars to and from Houndsdown!
I hit a pothole in the dead of night on the A31, it wrecked my tire, buckled my alloy, and I had to have the car recovered, because the ridiculous can of adhesive to reinflate would have come straight out again! Dorset Council sent someone to fix it, but as the road is operated by the highways agency, I approached them for compensation as I was out of pocket to the tune of £350 due to needing a new tire, the alloy repaired and recovery. I sent in photographs and although the highways agency accepted the issue, because they had inspected the road a week before and it was supposedly roadworthy they were not negligent! They have basically hidden behind the process and swept my claim under the carpet and said sorry, not our problem! I am seething but can do nothing about it. I did write to them asking if they would just glibly hide behind the very convenient, “sorry guv not our problem as we checked it the week before” had they been dealing with a serious, motorcycle accident or worse, a grieving family!!
Same. Broke two tyres from potholes in Cobham. I had to risk my life by providing photographic evidence which was turned down. If I disagree I could seek advice from a lawyer was their response. As if…waste of time and another headache and cost for me to pay!
hier in the Netherlands they fix it in max 2 weeks in the city and if the road is to bad they break it up and mak it new. And Damian if we drive to Belgium we say they're roads are bad.
They start by laying with pristene smooth tarmac, then someone digs a trench along it, puts some pipes underneath, and covers it over with new tarmac. Then the edges of the trench wear, the trench sinks because the ground beneath is not compacted, the tarmac is a diferent grade, and the whole trench becomes a pot hole. Did nobody ever think it might be better to do the work beneath the road _before_ laying the fresh tarmac, or do they plan to waste our money?
But many of the potholes are at the edge of the road, so is it just a case of making the roads wider while legislating that the vehicles remain the same width?
Always good videos but today was great. Always good to know the people you like and admire have the same thoughts as i do 👍 I will take umbrage with your classifying flytippers as builders and tradesmen, im afraid being non PC it is mostly pikeys and some foreigners no doubt aome of those may describe themselves as builders but even in this era where anyone can self proclaim any characteristic builder is stretching it further than an 18 stone man joining a ladies boxing gym.
OMG, I am very sympathetic...writing from Italy, where our roads are wayyyyy wayyyyy worse.... crater and pothole after crater and pothole... and of course the councils and government alike do fuckall. Not to mention the amount of rubbish people dump along the roads. A disgrace!
Oh ooooo wait wait , I San see a Damian rant coming on. Wait the kettle hasn't boiled yet.. 1. Pot holes are more effective than speed bumps 2. All the tarmac has been used to make the speed bumps instead of filling . 3. Councils.now grit at 3 degrees kot when ice snow warnings are given so roads are weaker due to the salt.. Let's all.move to LA.. You never fail to entertain, thanks for the commitment. 😎
Brilliant video. This is an absolute disgrace. I drive, constantly swerving to avoid potholes and in the past year have had to replace 1 wheel In my A35 AMG at a cost of £900. At 25000 miles I also had to have expensive front suspension components replaced. Thank goddess for the warranty. Is it any wonder that SUV’s are so popular as at least with these vehicles you are slightly less at risk of damage to your car.
Completely agree. Similar state here in N. Ireland. Road tax and insurance through the roof, picky MOT testers to ensure your car is "road worthy". But all the time forgetting the worthiness of the roads. Pathetic. Money going to nonsense EV and "sustainability" initiateives which will lead them no where.
‘The Shithouse’ claimed my 600 mile old tyre a few days ago. Nice start to a rare night out with my wife that was. 3+ hours wait for recovery, secondary recovery the following day and 2 days in a hire car whilst the tyre is taken care of. Total pain in the bollocks.
the same as in Germany.For years, only the bare essentials were repaired on German roads.Now we are paying the bill.Many bridges on the most important highways in metropolitan areas are no longer passable.Traffic chaos everywhere.Good old germany is history😢
UK roads are terrible,especially London roads. British government always screem about safety, safety, safety, and where your safety? Safety made to charge citizens and rize prices for everything. Driving at night in the UK is dangerous for life. Who will pay me for damaged tyres?
Unless your car is an SUV with fat tires - don’t even bother. As soon as you leave the motorway you’re hitting or avoiding potholes non-stop. I drive a lowered bmw on coilovers and 19” wheels and I can’t take it anymore
Hate the problem but love the enthusiasm reporting and effort gone into bringing this to attention more. P.s I hit that one by the Woolpack pub and thought I knew them all, what a bang!
Mainland Europe has much colder winters than us - many more frosts. 'Road tax' is just another tax and is added to the pot. It is not specifically for the roads.
@@TheCarGuysTV Point out a couple of facts that are contrary to what you said in the video. A lot of people erroneously believe that road tax is specifically for the roads, and the UK weather is no excuse for our appalling roads.
it would be interesting for you to phone your local council and ask for an appointment to speak to the head of Highways and Road Maintenance. Once there, ask them about why potholes aren't being filled in, in a timely manner. I bet it's something to do with central government funding to local councils. Who's to blame then?
In the second half of the 1960's I was competing in home-based motor rallies. I would frequently hit potholes like those at speeds of over 80km/hr. Full profile tyres, heavy duty wheels, up rated-springs and shock absorbers, strengthened body mounting points, increased ground clearance, sump shield ... handled unsurfaced roads taken at speed at night. Those all fashion, no function puddle jumpers the motor industry sells to mug punters are simply not fit for purpose. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
The state of British roads mirrors the state of the country as a whole which is now a complete shitshow. Don't see things getting better anytime soon as I agree with Damien that improving the state of the roads is not considered important but politicians who appear to hate the motorist. EV's which are way heavier that an equivalent petrol car is just going to make things worse.
You are 100% right. Sky high taxes, collapsed public services, basically a welfare state on life support. Who could have guessed that hundreds of billions blown on covid would have resulted in this shower. Who knew. Amazing really.
Maybe we should apply for an EEC grant. Oh wait....
Its an agenda. No travel outside your 15 minute city. Climate change, innit? 'kin commie yids.
Westminster's roads and pavements are perfect. We are all cash cows to Millionaires Row.
Not like the US is any better.
Don't forget: THEY DON'T WANT YOU DRIVING
Brilliant video, the state of our roads is a national disgrace
Agreed, glad you enjoyed it
Whole country is a disgrace ngl
You beat me to it. @@hdsg8361
When I was younger I used to tell my cousins abroad that the roads in the UK were amazing and perfect.
My cousins lived in a village near the mountains and the roads were like donkey tracks.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and their roads going in and out of the village are PERFECTLY smooth and wide enough (just about) for 2 regular cars and the roads I used to rave about in the UK now are as bad as the donkey roads from 30 years ago that we used to mock. How time changes.
Damian, don't forget the sunken manhole cover.
As it's not technically a pothole these can be a permanent feature of a daily commute & are rarely rectified.
I call these the 'Royal Chicanes' as they are mainly immune from investigation.
One of the main reasons there are so many potholes is because of the criminally shoddy repairs to existing ones. On a country road i drive along there was a 1 metre diameter by 9 inch deep pothole that was so called "fixed" by the local council about 6 months ago. Now it's almost reverted back to how the original pothole was.
Sounds familiar
Cars are heavier. Road damage increases by the fourth power law, so a 2 tonne car does 16x as much damage as a 1 tonne car. Worse still, people respond to potholes by buying huge, heavy 4x4’s that can handle them. Vicous circle.
@@Tailspin80 toyota corolla 2000 1,1T toyota corolla 2024 1,8T.and video about guy driving 2,5T mercedes s600 question himself why roads were better 20 years ago 🤣
@@glock888 Yes, more weight, more power, higher cornering forces, better brakes. It all adds up to more. Stress and damage to the road surface. Having said that I do think hard up councils are taking shortcuts with road maintenance, such as not resurfacing properly and not repairing potholes properly.
@@glock888 My daughter and hubby picked up a Volvo XC90 today. It’s like a tank. 2.7 tonnes. When I started driving most cars were under 1 tonne.
I suffered pothole damage to a brand new tyre - 200 miles on it. Claimed against Kent County Council whom were totally bureaucratic in terms of detailed form filling and then rejected my claim saying they inspect the road twice a year and that's all they are obligated to do! Impossible to call them they basically don't give a damn.
I’ve got the same issue with the City of Edinburgh council. My front NS tyre blew out and cracked my alloy as a result of MASSIVE pothole. The battle lines have been drawn and I’m taking it all the way.
@@terminal-velocity111 We’re all with you 🫡
@@TheCarGuysTV Seems to me at some point we're going to have to organise and stop paying vehicle taxes, the funds are clearly being abused.
The whole country is bankrupt yet we have billions for a war in Ukraine (Which is losing badly despite the propaganda we are being spoonfed)
I've had the same issue with Norfolk Council, total joke!!
Really glad you are raising awareness of this disgraceful situation on our roads. 👍
I try
The country is going downhill badly. Not just roads its every public service
Way too many immigrants from incompatible cultures.
Demographic shift.
Third world for sure !!
I live in NYC. Same thing. Every time I take my car out Im happy to come back with 4 intact tires. Horrible
Hit a pothole heading into Northumberland a few years ago and it shattered the tyre and the alloy.
I rang the council and recovery and whilst the car was being loaded onto a lorry the council came to fill in the hole. Luckily I recorded them doing it as the council then tried to deny the pothole existed. Eventually got compensation but still left me out of pocket as it wasn’t anywhere near the cost of the damage
Back in the 80s our local council in Guildford made all our council road workers redundant and sold off the equipment and shut down the the department before that our local roads around Guildford were resurfaced about every 10 to 12 years and were in good condition. When this happened I can remember a council worker telling me in about 25 years our roads round here will fall apart , the man was right!! 5 years ago I had to take the council to the small claims court for damage done to a Focus ST 2 x alloy wheels 2 x tyres and replace passenger side air bag all done on a pothole costing just under 2k, the council tried fight it but lost, so take them to court if they wont pay you will win..
All 80s councils did the same. It wasn't cost effective to keep road workers fully employed when only working 80% of the time. They put them out to contracts which was a much cheaper. The main problem started when big business moaned at government for higher wagon weights, more goods less cost,,, to them. The asphalt should have been replaced with a stronger grade before going from 28 tonnes to 44 tonnes on wagon weights.
Cycling north out of Mentmore in Bucks last week. There’s a downhill section where the whole road surface has disintegrated. I hit it at about 20 mph, couldn’t brake as I was hanging on for my life. I couldn’t even see because my eyeballs were banging around in their sockets. Much to my surprise I didn’t crash. Reported it on FixMyStreet and the council closed the report saying it would be fixed next year. They should close the road before someone dies.
Terrifying
@@TheCarGuysTV Yes, it’s just an inconvenience in a car by comparison. You can still brake and steer but on the bike I was basically out of control. At least Stoke Mandeville was just up the road!
Well done Damian for putting out this very relevant and important video. Not as “sexy” as a supercar hooning video but much more needed.
I really hope this gets views and traction. Do more stuff like this!
Just move to gorgeous Spain like I did, Damien. Amazing roads in perfect condition, fantastic weather, incredible food, great people, astounding architecture and culture... 🇪🇦😍👌🏻
Couldn't agree more!
Just don't ask the locals what their opinion of Brits is.
"Just move". Yes I remember when I lived in the EU and could "just move country" with ease.
17.4 million morons thought otherwise, not so easy now.
For those of use living on the continent it was always well known that if you take your car high up into the alps then you kind of expect rough surfaces, but that's logical as the surfaces have to endure freezing conditions and frequent repairs. But it is also well known that if you travel to the UK, the same road conditions exist but there it is just due to a lack of investment because your weather is nowhere near the same as in the alps.
Damian, thank you for making this video and for bringing light to this awful situation. Years ago, I had a modified and lowered VW bug that had a hot motor with a bolt on sump to add oil capacity. I ran over a horrible pothole in the city of Long Beach California and the sump was completely torn off my engine block. Oil spilled everywhere and the city sued me for hazardous waste cleanup monies. I filed a cross complaint and won it in court after I had documented the mess using witness testimony that the damage had been there for several months and had not been fixed even after it was reported several times. The city had to pay to replace my engine.
Good for you, Fred. Did you fix the Bug?
@@TheCarGuysTV Thanks Damian! I sure did. The court even awarded me labor and towing fees.
I guess it’s hard to measure if things are actually getting worse, but it certainly feels like it when it comes to potholes! One thing I don’t think you mentioned is one of the causes: heavier vehicles are more taxing on the roads. With so many driving around in unnecessarily large SUVs and now EVs, this situation will not be getting better. And yes, the lack of maintenance is dire here in the UK. 😖
It’s a brave man that takes his German luxo barge on a pothole search mission, Damian we appreciate your sacrifice 😂 A few more general rant videos wouldn’t go amiss, just sprinkled in amongst the car content 👍
Challenge accepted
You are doing a great service by highlighting this massive problem which is a national disgrace. In West Sussex, the council seems to think all they have to do to avoid liability for damage is to paint a white circle around a pothole. But at night they are all invisible. I hit one last night outside Littlehampton that left me amazed that no damage was done to my car -- at least no visible damage. We are taxed to hilt, and nothing in the country works. Potholes are simply one example of the decay that has set in in the UK. Its beyond serious.
Great video Damien ..and we pay squillions in car tax supposedly to use these ‘maintained’ roads without killing polar bears!
We need to start demonstrating like the French. If we withheld council tax and VED it would get the attention of the local councils and politicians. We shouldn’t have to pay through the nose for such a rubbish road network. Politicians aren’t scared of the public and they need a wake up call !
Agreed, Ian
I'm seeing loads of pot holes on the motorways now.
Thank you, Damian. We are entertained!
Huzzah!
Thanks for making this video. I found it very entertaining, but also extremely sad, with the seemingly couldn't care less attitude of MP's and local county councils ,resulting in the deterioration of the basic services and infrastructure.If this continues for a few more years , many roads will have to be closed.
Indeed
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video very informative
Glad you think so!
Great video and its pathetic the way they do substandard repairs (pour some low standard tarmac in and tap it down) some in Sussex return less than 2 weeks later. One cost me £800 in suspension damage, not happy 😢
Well said
Watched a retired Highways engineer consultant interview and he says the main reason we are getting so many potholes is because the old practise of Tar and Chippings which he says used to protect against potholes for a minimum of 15yrs is a victim of cutbacks. He explained the tar in liquid form sealed the cracks against water penetration and the chippings dressed the surface against premature wear. It used to annoy us driving on freshly laid chippings but the practise needs bringing back urgently.
Sounds entirely correct to me
During January lost offside front and rear tyres to one large pothole with damaged side walls and due to another pothole front nearside tyre again with side wall damage plus cracked alloy. Total cost £480.00. The roads are just one area this country has gone to the dogs, it's very depressing and we the people need to do something about it.
Surely (Along with the Great EV lie) your best ever work Damian! 👏🏻 As both a cyclist & Porsche driver, I am too terrified to go out in either locally at the moment as our South Cheshire roads are just too dangerous! in 2016 I campaigned against the local Authority (Cheshire East) for months with no success, despite doing all the work locating every local pothole with photos which took me weeks...so in the end lost my rag completely and went to the local press who plastered the story in a double-page spread complete with pictures: this resulted in a meeting with the head of highways from the local council in front of my local Parish council & 2 months later they were all repaired. But this is wrong and a national disgrace. Again brilliant video, well done 👍🏻...but what is the best way to get some national action?
Good for you, Peter - that's the spirit!
well done great work. it's safer riding a mountain bike bike than riding on the roads now. Funny how round here they have £10m to take out a roundabout for no reason and put traffic lights in when all the roads surrounding are full of craters.
@@JM00-v9c I do indeed ride a MTB Julia, but this is becoming a UK national disgrace.
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab haha well we need a V10 full DH to ride on the roads now!!!
What is the best way to get some national action ? Contact your MP ... best to arrange to meet the animal at one of its' surgeries. Get friends to do the same. Labour intend to drive us off of the road. The Tories have just given up doing the best they can to facilitate their friends and themselves squirrelling as much money abroad before the forthcoming general election. One thing that we can do is annoy them and then annoy them some more .... or form a political party of national salvation to stand against the entire lot of them. The majority of the electorate own, drive and attempt to park petrol, diesel or LPG fuelled cars, and most of those who don't, habitually travel as passengers in petrol, diesel or LPG fuelled cars but we are being screwed into the ground by unelected 'crat wasters who have oused out of certain anti-car universities and have slithered and slimed themselves into the bodies of our local authorities eating them from the inside. Our problem is that we don't complain enough. Far more of us must act like the anti-immigration Irish have in the last few months and like the anti-ULEZ people in London. Let us block the gates to local highways depots or lay pyramids of concrete on the roads approaching after they have gone home which would set sufficiently before the toads arrive the following morning. Mix 4 or 5 buckets at home and then go to the road near the depot. Each bucket should give 3 substantial molehills. If 5 or 6 people co-ordinated the action, a very uncomfortable ride could be created for the subversives. Putting glue in the gate locks is always good for a laugh.
In germany potholes are called "Schlagloch" which is literally translated to "hit hole". The hole hits you
Great info, danke
This video needs shared.
I agree
We went for a 3 week tour of Italy , France and Belgium last year .
We had a great time on great roads .
Upon returning to the U.K. within an hour we hit an asteroid crater on the a1 at 70mph .
Front shocker was destroyed , very annoying but not as annoying as discovering the bilstein shocks and springs were not available in the U.K. .
I had to replace all four corners with a standard set up , cost me £2000 !
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr🤬🤮
Disgraceful!
Hitting the UK roads after travelling in France fees like entering a third world country. The accompanying congestion and roadworks completes the misery
Don´t come to Sweden if you want roads without potholes. Same here as in UK. Climate of course. But way worse these days than in the past.
I’m sharing this video and I am emailing it to my MP and I’m serious too.
Good work Damian
Much appreciated
Where the fu*k does the road tax every vehicle owner pays go?!?!
14 years & counting!
To the Tory donors.
The 1/2 mile road through the affluent village in the Vale of Belvoir where I live has had highway maintenance carry out 72 visits in seven years to repair potholes. They bodge repairs so they can get paid to fix them again six months later. The road into Bakhmut is in better condition!!
Looks like Los Angeles…Have had my HRE’s bent a number of times…
I work in a local authority highway maintenance department and we are implementing what is called a managed decline of the road network. The limited resources are going on the major roads and bus routes. Also we do less verge litter picking and drainage maintenance.
Great vid mate - Potholes are literally everywhere 🤬
Great video just highlighting how bad the UK's roads have become. My local authority recently seem more intent on re-painting the white lines everywhere leaving nearby potholes untouched!
Hilarious
I'm also a cyclist as well as a car lover and I report potholes on the council's website regularly, as I encounter many on my bike travels. East Riding of Yorkshire Council is very good and fill them in within 24 hours or so usually. One was filled in down my road recently within 48 hours without me actually reporting it. Get online folks and batter the council's website.
Ive had completely switch my route to my work at least 10+ miles out of my way just to find a road surface with minimal lesser dangerous potholes because the narrow lanes I used to use (because of the minimal options from A to B) got so bad after the flooding earlier this year I got tired of the focus needed to keep a mental map of them all. A huge one I liked to call a moon crater (although nothing like the one in this video) appeared very quickly one day and took me by surprise. I hit it at a good rate of knots, my TPMS went off in seconds, tyre destroyed, no spare only puncture repair fluid, had to sit in an inn in bumfuck nowhere for 4 hours waiting for a recovery.
Its time road tax was ringfenced for actual roads. We also need a regulatory agency, DoT or something, that takes reports of damage from potholes and provides compensation directly, THEN fines the council responsible for where it happened a significant multiple of the cost of the damage for every single incident. I reckon shit would get fixed real quick.
Agreed
Its not only potholes , its overgrown hedges scratching up cars
We must not ignore the fact that for 15 years people have been voting to have more potholes, not fewer.
Brilliant!
Loved it Damien!. What a great episode.. at first I thought you were describing the roads here in Ozland. But then when we went on the drive I realised you're far worse..roads in Australia have been disintegrating for years now. I did a road trip recently where they signposted a 100kmh road down to 60 to try and mitigate the problem. As you say, politicians wasting money on unnecessary things, and people. How is it that when we had less people in Australia with a lower GDP and less tax we had better roads. Politicians, that's how. Keep it up..
PS.. is that a GS? Couldn't quite make it out. Missing the Watch Guys.😢
When I worked for BMW I remember the company refused to sell 20” and 21” alloy wheels on the 2012 7 Series in some states as the damage was so extensive.
there was a section of road here that was collapsed at the edge the same as your film. no traffic lights were installed , it was left until there was a head long collision before it was fixed.
Damian, don't get me started. My worst was two $600 tyres in a week and the first one my road side assistance took my car to a tyre shop that catered for semi trailers only and refused to take it to a second shop to get it fixed. Luckily the tyre shop staff were brilliant and were able to help me by sending the wheel to one of their other shops having a new tyre fitted and returned and fitted the wheel to the car and I was able to carry on my way to work. My pet name starts with "mother". Cheers 🍻
I broke my car suspension and tyres last weekend. 2 thousand pounds to repair! No car for a week! Mother father ! 😂
What a brilliant and informative video. At last, an influencer using their influence to improve the standard of roads in the UK. Well done!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, I've noticed over the last few years that the state of our roads are getting beyond useable and as you quite rightly stated with all the taxes on our cars we should have billiard table type surfaces.
This is the state of most roads I drive on a daily basis. Even with a old 4x4 it still makes me wince every time I catch them. Why do us motorists tolerate this is beyond me. Great video. What are us car guys and girls going to do to improve our roads?
What a brilliant way of explaining a national disgrace, great fun to watch yet very serious topic 😆👍🏻 We need a lot more stuff like this to try and get this problem off the bottom of the list of priorities of those in charge of our roads…but I’m not going to hold my breath on that one 🙄
Glad you enjoyed it
Don't drive in the UK at night if it's an unknown road for you, it's dangerous for life.
In the “Shredder’” section insert 007 shredding the Mustang’s tire in Goldfinger. Great episode the roads are just as bad in the USA😫😎
The roads being shitty is in large part of the politicians spending money on "pork barrel" crap instead of where it should be spent. I know that in the state of California, which we fled 2 1/2 years ago, the legislature used gas tax money which is legally supposed to go towards roads for many other uses.
This is a brilliant piece of production!
Thank you, Savage
I'm hearing you! If it makes you feels better, they are not much better in Australia! Just rode my GS motorbike in Victoria for a week long trip (4000kms) and had a few near touchdowns due to the very poor roads. Terrible. Authorities are happy to just say; 'slow down' , we have no money, or we are upgrading the footpaths, etc, etc
Great video, about time with someone with your kind of following raises this issue which affects us all. It’s why I do all my decent trips in Europe now
In New York city the roads seem to be paved with old bubble gum. Humps, bumps, cracks, dips, ridges, holes, miniature mountain ranges. It's a little bit of everything that could destroy your car.
This one’s going to get a million views. Pass the 🍿
That would be nice
They've just relaid part of the main road through Carlisle in the last few days (London Road), I give it 3 months.
Good episode and nice graphics! I am not surprised most people now drive single family dwellings with supposed off-road capability, given the state of tarmac. Though apparently, vehicle weight contributes to the problem.
Haha! I drive that road all the time. It’s horrific and getting worse by the day! 😮
The main roads in Glasgow are like that .
I did 1k of damage to my truck 3 years ago on a sunken drain & it's still not fixed .
At nighttime in the rain on my motorbike I'm close to shitting myself hoping for the best 😡
Councils spent all the money on painting rainbows and putting up 20mph signs.
If we weren’t waisting 8 million a day elsewhere….
Inspired by your video I have just reported a hole I call The Pit to Hants CC.
It’s in the A35 out of Lyndhurst, covers most of both carriageways and is a concave version of a “sleeping policemen”. It must cause havoc for Meridien Modena taking cars to and from Houndsdown!
The shithouse got me absolutely crying 😂 Great video, more of these please !
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I hit a pothole in the dead of night on the A31, it wrecked my tire, buckled my alloy, and I had to have the car recovered, because the ridiculous can of adhesive to reinflate would have come straight out again! Dorset Council sent someone to fix it, but as the road is operated by the highways agency, I approached them for compensation as I was out of pocket to the tune of £350 due to needing a new tire, the alloy repaired and recovery. I sent in photographs and although the highways agency accepted the issue, because they had inspected the road a week before and it was supposedly roadworthy they were not negligent! They have basically hidden behind the process and swept my claim under the carpet and said sorry, not our problem! I am seething but can do nothing about it. I did write to them asking if they would just glibly hide behind the very convenient, “sorry guv not our problem as we checked it the week before” had they been dealing with a serious, motorcycle accident or worse, a grieving family!!
Same. Broke two tyres from potholes in Cobham. I had to risk my life by providing photographic evidence which was turned down. If I disagree I could seek advice from a lawyer was their response. As if…waste of time and another headache and cost for me to pay!
hier in the Netherlands they fix it in max 2 weeks in the city and if the road is to bad they break it up and mak it new. And Damian if we drive to Belgium we say they're roads are bad.
Good to know
They start by laying with pristene smooth tarmac, then someone digs a trench along it, puts some pipes underneath, and covers it over with new tarmac. Then the edges of the trench wear, the trench sinks because the ground beneath is not compacted, the tarmac is a diferent grade, and the whole trench becomes a pot hole.
Did nobody ever think it might be better to do the work beneath the road _before_ laying the fresh tarmac, or do they plan to waste our money?
But many of the potholes are at the edge of the road, so is it just a case of making the roads wider while legislating that the vehicles remain the same width?
Always good videos but today was great. Always good to know the people you like and admire have the same thoughts as i do 👍 I will take umbrage with your classifying flytippers as builders and tradesmen, im afraid being non PC it is mostly pikeys and some foreigners no doubt aome of those may describe themselves as builders but even in this era where anyone can self proclaim any characteristic builder is stretching it further than an 18 stone man joining a ladies boxing gym.
Nice one Damian
OMG, I am very sympathetic...writing from Italy, where our roads are wayyyyy wayyyyy worse.... crater and pothole after crater and pothole... and of course the councils and government alike do fuckall.
Not to mention the amount of rubbish people dump along the roads.
A disgrace!
Oh ooooo wait wait , I San see a Damian rant coming on. Wait the kettle hasn't boiled yet..
1. Pot holes are more effective than speed bumps
2. All the tarmac has been used to make the speed bumps instead of filling .
3. Councils.now grit at 3 degrees kot when ice snow warnings are given so roads are weaker due to the salt..
Let's all.move to LA..
You never fail to entertain, thanks for the commitment. 😎
I agree with Geoff, the state of our roads is a visual indication of the state of the country, it's falling apart.
I think we can all agree on that
If it's required for vehicles to be road ready. Why aren't roads required to be vehicle ready?
Good point!
I have just typed the same sentiment. The double standards are insane!
Brilliant video.
This is an absolute disgrace.
I drive, constantly swerving to avoid potholes and in the past year have had to replace 1 wheel
In my A35 AMG at a cost of £900. At 25000 miles I also had to have expensive front suspension components replaced. Thank goddess for the warranty.
Is it any wonder that SUV’s are so popular as at least with these vehicles you are slightly less at risk of damage to your car.
Sorry to hear that
My god
Im absolutely gobsmacked about the roads you have….. this is the reason its almost impossible to have a sportscar in the UK
I have been driving since 1972 and have never known the roads as bad as they are now, some are like driving on a forest track
Completely agree. Similar state here in N. Ireland. Road tax and insurance through the roof, picky MOT testers to ensure your car is "road worthy". But all the time forgetting the worthiness of the roads. Pathetic.
Money going to nonsense EV and "sustainability" initiateives which will lead them no where.
‘The Shithouse’ claimed my 600 mile old tyre a few days ago. Nice start to a rare night out with my wife that was. 3+ hours wait for recovery, secondary recovery the following day and 2 days in a hire car whilst the tyre is taken care of. Total pain in the bollocks.
Sorry to hear that - what a pisser!
What about the other road to the Rising Sun. My suspicion Nearly went through the floor last week. The forest is not good to M3s.
the same as in Germany.For years, only the bare essentials were repaired on German roads.Now we are paying the bill.Many bridges on the most important highways in metropolitan areas are no longer passable.Traffic chaos everywhere.Good old germany is history😢
UK roads are terrible,especially London roads. British government always screem about safety, safety, safety, and where your safety? Safety made to charge citizens and rize prices for everything. Driving at night in the UK is dangerous for life. Who will pay me for damaged tyres?
Damian , welsh roads are like cream ,your dad said , on his visit to me this week the usa is bad as well, BUY A HUMMER !!!, best regards martin
😂😂😂 Great to hear from you, Martin
well that scraps my idea of a UK road tour as a tourist
Unless your car is an SUV with fat tires - don’t even bother. As soon as you leave the motorway you’re hitting or avoiding potholes non-stop. I drive a lowered bmw on coilovers and 19” wheels and I can’t take it anymore
Good work.
Hate the problem but love the enthusiasm reporting and effort gone into bringing this to attention more.
P.s I hit that one by the Woolpack pub and thought I knew them all, what a bang!
I had three road springs go in 11 months and two in one week.
Lovely Video, Trust me, You Haven't Seen Any Potholes Until You've Driven Through #PotholePboro Pothole Peterborough.
Mainland Europe has much colder winters than us - many more frosts.
'Road tax' is just another tax and is added to the pot. It is not specifically for the roads.
What exactly are you trying to do here, Julian?
@@TheCarGuysTV Point out a couple of facts that are contrary to what you said in the video.
A lot of people erroneously believe that road tax is specifically for the roads, and the UK weather is no excuse for our appalling roads.
it would be interesting for you to phone your local council and ask for an appointment to speak to the head of Highways and Road Maintenance. Once there, ask them about why potholes aren't being filled in, in a timely manner. I bet it's something to do with central government funding to local councils. Who's to blame then?
In the second half of the 1960's I was competing in home-based motor rallies. I would frequently hit potholes like those at speeds of over 80km/hr. Full profile tyres, heavy duty wheels, up rated-springs and shock absorbers, strengthened body mounting points, increased ground clearance, sump shield ... handled unsurfaced roads taken at speed at night. Those all fashion, no function puddle jumpers the motor industry sells to mug punters are simply not fit for purpose.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Agree completely, thanks for commenting, Jack
Upload more please lads 🙌🏻
Are there any pot holes at the dogging spot ?
Which one?
@@TheCarGuysTV the one in the forest
Man, this is absolutely terrible. Unbelievable