I have just had a few days back in England - in London and also in Buckinghamshire. It’s almost 2 years since I’ve been back. What struck me, visible when walking around London and very evident when being driven around Bucks, was the number and severity of the pot holes. These are everywhere and quite large at times.
What also struck me was the wealth evident in the cars being driven - trying to avoid the pot holes. Most cars seemed to be Range Rovers, Mercedes, BMWs, etc. Large expensive cars and SUVs. To an outsider, it seemed that people are very happy to cough up huge sums for the status car … but not happy to cough up a lot less in tax to pay for the maintenance of roads. So they end up damaging their dream car as they attempt to drive along pot holed roads.
Am I the only one who thinks this is not entirely logical?
We pay a car tax which should go onto road repairs but it generally goes on free “business” trips abroad for members of Parliament instead
It is a long, long time since a tax raised only goes to a single element of spending, it all goes into one big pot before being divvied up. Besides, most of the responsibility for repairing pot holes lies with local councils - how would they get hold of road tax revenues?
London zone 1 & 2 are fine.
There’s been issues with this in West Sussex for ages. Heavy clay in the county is prevelant, one pot hole is filled in more appear. I don’t drive but as a cyclist it can be scary!
There are so many pot holes about now, its going to be nigh on impossible to get to hell in a handcart!!
Yes. There are a great deal of potholes around in SE Greater London/Kent. Some contenders in the local elections have made promises to fix them. Apparently tarmac melts in the hot summers and then heavy rain washes it away. Heavy trendy SUVs don’t help!
Ok for potholes here. Lib dem local authority. Maybe you were driving on Reform council roads 
I don’t think the reason people are driving these large cars is to avoid potholes though, it’s more they think they look big and important and often to disguise the fact that they can’t drive properly.
Big cars are no longer a status symbol, not since PCP 
Certainly not. Your question is based on the assumption that there’s a direct link between driving a posh car and expecting that taxes paid will be spent on road repairs. Yet these are two different animals accounting for those cars being driven in spite of pot holes but perhaps teeth-gnashingly.
Expensive cars with alloy wheels and low profile tyres seem to come off worst with potholes.
Of course it is simply one example of how it is common for people to act in what they see as in the best interest for themselves (here - flash car and low tax) but in fact the end result works not in their best interest (damaged car costing more to fix than extra tax would), This happens again and again born out people failing to working out that acting in self interest, with no regard for the wider social benefits, can actually add to personal costs and might not be the cost saving it initially looks like.
Agree. Reminds me that the adage ‘The shirt is nearer than the coat’ is justified.