Olympian Victoria Pendleton has said
that cyclists are now being deterred from using their bikes because
of poor road surfaces caused by potholes.
Pendleton, who won a cycling
gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, said that the
nation's roads must be made safer and added that Britain has a
pothole crisis.
The total number of potholes
will pass two million for the first time this year, according to
the latest figures, which also reveal that there are an average of
around 10 potholes for every mile of road in England and
Wales.
Potholes can
cause car accidents, because if they are
severe, or if a car is not equipped to handle the blow, they can
cause the driver to lose control.
They can also cause cycling accidents, as
Mark Bowman discussed before.
Victoria Pendleton says:
"Following more bad
weather this winter, potholes are still a serious problem for road
users, particularly people cycling to work or school, cycling for
fun, keeping fit, or even cycling professionally".
"We have to make our roads safer and more accessible for
cyclists who often lack confidence to ride their bikes in and
around urban areas because of poor road surfaces."
Her comments follow warnings that councils will struggle to
repair potholes because of a £165 million shortfall in funding.
The Local Government Association, which represents around 350
councils, said highways departments will be hit by cuts as they
begin to survey the damage exacerbated by the worst December
weather in a century.