Heavy vehicles are to blame.

Mamie obviously has more detailed knowledge of how the system works. and how intensively the roads are used.

Exactly why I put the question in response to Mamie’s post.

I am well enough versed in the size of France, both rural and urban, to guess at usage.
It’s strange that, particularly where I live, the roads have deteriorated rapidly in the last two years.

Mollygo

^Overall there is less traffic in France?^
Per capita?
Or
Because it’s a bigger country
or because fewer people own cars?

I'd have said that French roads were less intensively used because probably about the same number of cars as in the UK are spread over a far wider area, and so there is less damage to them but that's just as a visitor to a mainly rural area. Mamie obviously has more detailed knowledge of how the system works. and how intensively the roads are used.

Of course, before Thatcher got her hands on our economy and heavily promoted the idea that state spending was undesirable and local authorities were spendthrifts, there was better funding for local roads (responsibility of LAs) and for major roads (responsibility of central government). Successive governments have followed her lead, particularly the 'austerity' policies of the Cameron government and don't seem to have understood that cutting spending on infrastructure leads to its inevitable deterioration. We are now just reaping the rewards of being fed the continual line that government spending, whether local or national, is inefficient and very wasteful.

Not just in our roads, of course, but that's a whole topic in itself...

Overall there is less traffic in France?
Per capita?
Or
Because it’s a bigger country
or because fewer people own cars?

Overall there is less traffic in France, but there is also a lot of work done to keep them in good order locally, regionally and nationwide.. I was on the Council in a small commune and we were responsible for ensuring the maintenance of our (very) rural roads.

David49

Except for holiday weekends Ive found driving in France much easier, quieter, better roads, although main A roads tend to be heavy traffic. In Belgium and Germany traffic is as bad as the UK, during the week,

The traffic is as bad. The state of the roads is better in both Germany (seen this month) and France ( seen last summer).

Except for holiday weekends Ive found driving in France much easier, quieter, better roads, although main A roads tend to be heavy traffic. In Belgium and Germany traffic is as bad as the UK, during the week,

Jaxjacky

We don’t build our roads as robustly as some other countries including decent drainage, neither do we maintain them. We are reactive, patching potholes after the event, often badly.

That’s the trouble, too much patching which doesn’t last long.

EVs are too expensive for many and lots of people live in houses and flats without the possibility of cheap charging. Councils often won't allow across pavement charging and won't fit kerbside chargers. If Millibabd wants more EVs on the road he needs to address these problems.

The condition of the roads is far worse than in France.

The roads in France aren’t as heavily used as UK roads though, are they?

Having just returned from a week driving in rural Normandy the difference in road usage between there and the rural area I live in is absolutely stark.

France has roughly tge same size population as the UK but it’s spread over more than twice the area of the UK. Road usage is far lighter.

Using the bus is, of course, a green way of travelling, Mollygo.
Here, if I am using my bus pass, I am limited to certain times of travel, allowing students and workers space on the bus early in the day .Is this not the practice everywhere?

Allira

paddyann54

We, e had several of them reopened and more in the pipeline.That must be a possibility in other areas? A better way to spend a fortune than HS2

I agree.
It would get more cars off the roads if more people commute by train.

In an ideal world we should be sharing cars but we all like our personal space and the ability to go anywhere on a whim in whatever style they choose.
A few choose the "hair shirt" an old beaten up banger from the last century, those that can afford it choose to have a new sporty model on finance.

The car is a status symbol, reflects your personality, those that have a sporty outlook buy a BMW, the thrifty buy a Skoda and so on, a few don't care and buy a Ford, or its a company car and they have no choice. It's not new and men and women are just the same if they have the money they compete with men in the car status stakes.

mae13

The Chelsea Tractors favoured by Yummy Mummies (largely for posing purposes) must contribute substantially to the increasing pothole problem.

No-one needs a 'tank' like that for the school run.

It's a status thing if they have the money the car of choice is a Range Rover Sport, safe and heavy plenty of space for 3 kids and all the kit, probably run on hubbys company account.

There is one single track lane near us that is used as a shortcut to the local private school, they have 4x4s and run onto the verge to pass resulting in the edges being constantly broken up.

Country lanes in general are the worst, no proper foundations constantly repaired. We are on a B road there is a big housing development, (10000 houses) the trucks feeding that are breaking it up really badly. There is a plan for a new road in 10 yrs time but no money to build it.

Any old road has old foundations of unknown quality, very wet or very dry conditions plus increased heavy traffic will always cause problems.

We have returned from France to England after twenty years and I have bought a second hand EV for a very reasonable price. The charging infrastructure in the town is excellent. The roads are in poor condition and full of potholes, but it looks more like long term lack of proper repair to me and the same applies to pavements which are in a dreadful state.
The condition of the roads is far worse than in France.
There isn't any hard evidence of additional damage by EVs in all the research I have read. We had an EV for four years before we left France and the low maintenance and running costs made a real difference. EVs are also a joy to drive.

The Chelsea Tractors favoured by Yummy Mummies (largely for posing purposes) must contribute substantially to the increasing pothole problem.

No-one needs a 'tank' like that for the school run.

Regarding the OP about heavier vehicles damaging roads, and the debate about EVs, here's a possible solution. Fit them with air suspension. Due to the way it works, it causes less wear and tear. This would help preserve the roads and save money on repairs. Obviously the effects would be gradual but every bit helps, as they say.

The reason I suggested this is because of the comment about trucks causing the most damage. True, but heavy goods vehicles that have road-friendly suspension (RFS), which is most air suspension systems, actually pay a reduced rate of vehicle excise duty because they cause less damage to the roads. So it's acknowledged by the authorities that air suspension causes less wear and tear to roads. So fitting air suspension to EVs, and heavier vehicles in general, would cause less damage.

Some cars already have it so presumably, apart from a comfier ride, they are better for the roads.

paddyann54

We, e had several of them reopened and more in the pipeline.That must be a possibility in other areas? A better way to spend a fortune than HS2

I agree.
It would get more cars off the roads if more people commute by train.

We don’t build our roads as robustly as some other countries including decent drainage, neither do we maintain them. We are reactive, patching potholes after the event, often badly.

Chocolatelovinggran

The upsurge of “older” people (with bus passes) I meet on the bus currently is nothing to do with a halo. Rather it’s to do with the cost/scarcity of fuel at the moment.

Some rather disgruntled students at the third stop out of town had to wait for the next bus this afternoon because the bus I was on was packed with fuel saving pensioners.

We, e had several of them reopened and more in the pipeline.That must be a possibility in other areas? A better way to spend a fortune than HS2

Indeed, Mollygo. I do not make assumptions about the income of my fellow GNetters: from posts, I understand that we have a wide range of incomes, some much greater than mine, and some significantly less than mine.
However, those of us with modest means might be adopting an even more eco- polished halo by taking the bus.

paddyann54

I wonder why more freight isn,t. carried by trains.I understand that some parts are poorly served by rail but it would save the roads and the environment if trains could ,as they used to say,take the strain

What a pity they shut down all those branch lines all those years ago.

I wonder why more freight isn,t. carried by trains.I understand that some parts are poorly served by rail but it would save the roads and the environment if trains could ,as they used to say,take the strain

Allira

Because resurfacing and filling of potholes is now carried out by private contractors the lowest tender is accepted by Councils and the cheapest materials are used.

Pay cheap, pay twice.

Nice little earner for the contractors. 😉

Because resurfacing and filling of potholes is now carried out by private contractors the lowest tender is accepted by Councils and the cheapest materials are used.

Pay cheap, pay twice.

We want and / or need the goods, so they need to be transported. I wonder how many passenger cars it would take to carry the load of one average HGV. and how the road damage they caused would compare.

I'm not sure what the answer is or what I trying to say, except that it isn't black and white!