Poor road surfaces blamed for 242 collisions
Poor road surfaces contributed to 242 collisions in Great Britain in 2023, according to a new study
This is according to data from the Department of Transport obtained by Go.Compare motorbike insurance.
It found that of the 242 collisions, 84 involved a motorcycle with 50 of these incidents considered slight, 33 serious and one fatal.
B and C roads in Kent were among the worst in GB, with eight per cent in poor condition and seven collisions involving motorcycles as a result. Meanwhile, there were five collisions in Essex involving motorcycles and defective road surfaces, and three in Hampshire, Lancashire and Merton.
Roads being neglected
Steve Ramsey, managing editor for motoring at Go.Compare, said: “It’s clear from these statistics that poor road surfaces are particularly dangerous for motorcyclists.
“Swathes of the country’s roads are being neglected, despite their maintenance being essential for keeping all road users safe. Riders are being disproportionately affected as a result. Clearly, more work needs to be done to make the nation’s roads safe for all users.”
In total, there were 17,765 collisions involving motorcycles across Great Britain in 2023. For just under 2,400 of these, there were “special conditions” at the road environment, such as roadworks, defective signals, or mud, oil or diesel on the road surface. This accounts for just over one in 10 (13%) motorcycle collisions and a quarter of all collisions where there were special road conditions.
