The apocalypse could be signalled in many ways. For example, if you ever see 4 horseman galloping over the horizon looking kind of sinister then it would definitely be time to take the plunge and finally tell that special person from accounts that you have secretly loved them for the last 2 decades.
Anyway, in terms of driving, it is less common to see driving conditions as indicating the end of the world. As far as I know, Nostradamus never mentioned anything about the UK’s road getting filled with potholes. It’s still all a bit ominous though, isn’t it?
As Big as Bahrain
Photo Credit: helkimchee
It seems that 1 in 10 drivers have recently suffered damage to their vehicles due to potholes. This is a whopping 79% increase on the previous year’s figures. In the last financial year councils have settled 32,600 claims and paid out a staggering £2.5 million. Britannia Rescue confirms that there is a pothole for every single mile of road in the country. The overall size of all of the UK’s potholes added together is 295 square miles, which is exactly the same size as Bahrain or Franklin County in Texas. If you aren’t familiar with the dimensions of small Middle Eastern countries or parts of the Lone Star State then another comparison is that it is twice the size of the Isle of Wight.
Now, since leaving the UK I live in a third world country in Latin America where there is more likely a pothole for every 10 metres of road. When I complained about the situation (secretly hoping for a bit of compensation) I got told to drive round them. Good grief, why didn’t I think of that before? It seems that some people are so used to driving with potholes that they hardly even notice them. However, anyone used to great roads in the UK (I don’t remember ever seeing many potholes at all there) can find it hard to adjust.
Are potholes ruining your life? What can be done about them before they swallow the entire country?