Potholes too SHALLOW to fix: Dozens of people are injured each year by holes in the road that councils say they cannot fix
- Last year, 96 crashes were caused faulty road surfaces - up 12 per cent
- Over a million holes were reported to highways authorities and councils in 2016
- Campaigners claim councils are failing to act because holes are too shallow
Dozens of cyclists are injured each year by holes in the road that councils claim are too shallow to fix, it has emerged.
A whopping 467 cyclists were involved in accidents caused by 'poor or defective' roads over the past five years, Department of Transport data has revealed.
Last year alone, 96 crashes were caused faulty road surfaces - 12 per cent more than the previous year.
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A whopping 467 cyclists were involved in accidents caused by 'poor or defective' roads over the past five years, Department of Transport data has revealed
The shocking figures, published in The Times, come after it emerged that over one million potholes were reported to highways authorities and councils in 2016.
Campaigners are now accusing authorities of ignoring warnings over dangerous potholes.
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Cyclist Iain Turnbull, 59, suffered concussion and a deep cut when he was thrown from his bike after hitting a pothole.
He submitted a compensation claim to North Yorkshire county council but it was rejected after the authority said the road had passed a recent inspection, The Times reported.
The shocking figures, published in the Times, come after it emerged that over one million potholes were reported to highways authorities and councils in 2016
But Mr Turnbull's lawyer claimed this was because the hole was 3cm deep and not deemed dangerous.
'The councils are just not held accountable,' Mr Turnbull told the paper.
'Surface conditions are pretty dire. You have to be very aware of what you're riding on. Road conditions are certainly getting worse.'
A Department of Transport spokeswoman said: 'We are giving councils record levels of capital funding - more than £7.1bn up to 2021 - to improve local roads and repair potholes.
'It is vital councils spend this to keep roads in good condition to keep all users safe, especially cyclists.'
Freedom of information data revealed 1,031,787 potholes were reported to highways authorities and council in 2016.
Most of the damage to the country's roads last year was caused during February and March, with local authorities having to fork out £3.1million in repairs.
Scotland has the worst problem, with a region-by-region tally revealing its pot holes add up to 6,364 metres.
A survey of 2,000 motorists found that one in three (33 per cent) have suffered damage to their vehicles due to poor road surfaces, including tyres and suspension problems.
The local authority forced to pay out the most on damage claims to motorists was Wiltshire Council, at £508,000.
But the cost of repair varies between areas, with Westminster City Council forking out the most per pothole at £2,400.
The study also found that 70 per cent of drivers still think councils should do more to tackle potholes, despite more than £100 million spent nationwide.
The research was carried out by Confused.com using data from almost 200 local authorities.
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