The increase in potholes, reported by the latest roads survey, will mean more vehicles on the road with damaged or defective windscreens, warns National Mobile Windscreens.

The survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance found that:

  • There is an £800 million funding shortfall in local authority budgets for highway maintenance;
  • It will take an estimated 11 years to make up the backlog of work;
  • It will cost an estimated £10 billion “one-off cost” to get the roads up to a reasonable condition;
  • Complaints over the state of the roads have increased 10%, and compensation claims are soaring;

“Our safety surveys of major vehicle fleets show that some 20% of vehicles have damaged or defective windscreens, and this will only increase as the state of our roads continue to deteriorate,” said Martyn Bennett, sales and marketing director.

“Many of the defects we find require immediate attention, while many others can lead to a glass failure if repairs or replacement are delayed.”

National Mobile Windscreens say that while some fleet operators are getting their vehicles checked and repaired, others may be reluctant to spend time carrying out general windscreen safety inspections, or postponing any repair work because of their demanding work schedules.

“But it is important to identify any vehicle glass defect and to delay any repair or replacement is a false economy.

“A damaged windscreen can fail at any time and it is better to have the work carried out when it is convenient rather than as a last-minute emergency,” he said.