According to the RAC Foundation, 2.4 million holes are dug in Britain’s roads every year. It uses this figure in support of its campaign for better co-ordination of road works, so that, for example, if BT digs a hole in the road, Thames Water can at the same time fix a leak, which it is bound to find, and so on. A holistic approach, you might say. Since our total UK road network measures roughly 240,000 miles, that means, in any one year, ten holes are dug for every mile of road. From this it follows that if you drive 10,000 miles a year, in the course of 12 months you will encounter 100,000 roadworks, or 8,333 per month, or 378 for every working day, or in distance terms, roughly ten per mile. So if you’ve ever wondered why every roadwork in the country was on your way to work, now you know. I have the statistics to prove it.
That explains a lot! Luckily, I don’t have that problem on my journey to work…from bed to office!
Terri | 19 Oct 06 - 11:23In my opinion road works are essential. Where else would drunken revelers go for fun? It’s as traditional as fish and chips - get drunk, go for a curry and then steal a traffic cone to wear on your head.
Fuse | 19 Oct 06 - 14:47Interesting statistics, but I think that the distribution of holes is being manipulated as here in Surrey we seem to have about 90% of the country’s allocation!!!
Neil MacKay | 19 Oct 06 - 16:22Fair play… But can you tell me why I get stopped at EVERY traffic light when I am running late???
L | 20 Oct 06 - 16:42L: Because you’re late.
Graham Whyte | 20 Oct 06 - 17:27The RAC Foundation’s campaign sounds like another move to increase the power of the nanny state. The utilities would have to talk to each other, notify each other when they plan to do a bit of digging - more paperwork, more telephone calls, more emails, more co-ordination, more office staff to cope with it all. Leave bad alone, I say!
Anona Driver | 24 Oct 06 - 15:40