DRIVERS have been left fuming after being told of the ridiculous reason they should avoid puddles.
It comes after it was revealed that last month was the worst in history for pothole-related breakdowns.
AlamyMotorists have been fuming after being told to “avoid puddles”[/caption]
Heavy rain and standing water from Storm Babet has submerged hidden potholes, leading to misery for drivers.
The hidden holes have caused drivers to suffer blowouts, punctures and suspension damage.
RAC analysis of garage repair data estimates that drivers are paying an average of £440 if their car needs fixing after hitting a pothole for any damage more serious than a puncture.
Now, the AA have issued guidance to motorists to avoid puddles so they will miss these hidden potholes.
And stunned motorists were quick to take to social media after being informed of the new advice.
One wrote: “Not sure you should ‘avoid’ puddles – that might make drivers swerve which is potentially more dangerous.
“Slow down and glide over a pothole is better advice because you don’t want extra energy from the brakes to have a bigger impact on the wheel.”
A second commented: “More proof drivers are treated like dirt and abused for cash.”
Another said: “Avoiding puddles is easier said than done with shorter days & longer nights in the middle of winter.
“The roads are like slalom tracks.”
A user fumed: “Drivers being told to avoid puddles to ensure they don’t hit pothole….just fix the pot holes.”
We revealed that the AA were called out to 52,541 incidents last month due to potholes alone, which marked a 12 per cent increase on October last year.
It marked the worse month in history for pothole related recoveries, the AA confirmed.
The cumulative total for 2023 stands at more than half a million (510,932), averaging 1,591 a day.
Last week, the government announced the long-term funding of local roads maintenance across England, with the redistribution of £8.3billion of HS2 money.
The AA’s Tony Rich told The Sun: “Continuous poor weather and storms such as Babet, Cairan and Debi are having a two-fold effect on driving conditions.
“What feels like relentless rainwater is covering and increasing the severity of potholes while holding back essential road repairs by rightly diverting roads maintenance crews to tackle fallen trees and flooded areas.
“The £8.3billion Road Maintenance Fund will offer some respite for drivers, but with the first instalment not being made until April 2024, the funding can’t come soon enough.
“We are also pleased that councils will be encouraged to use the money to resurface streets rather than patch and run. Ensuring the structural integrity of the roads is key to road safety.
“Until then, our advice to drivers and those on two wheels is to avoid puddles where safe to do so, but if there is no alternative other than to travel through, then reduce your speed and keep an increased distance from the vehicle in front.”
A shocking report, by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), found only 51 per cent of England and Wales’s 205,400 miles of local roads are in good order.
The cost of the road repair backlog is reported to have increased 11 per cent on last year to a new high of £14billion.
And as austerity and inflation have put town hall budgets under increased pressure, there has been far less money to spend on pothole repair.