Potholes and bumps: How bad are Blackpool's roads?

However, government statistics have revealed how much of Blackpool’s road network need repairs work and you may be surprised at the figures.

Out of the 25 miles of council-run A roads, just two percent of them were judged to be in need of maintenance, only 0.5 miles.

The statistics follow road inspections carried out in the 12 months to March 2018.

The examinations, done by scanner machines and human inspection, identify sections of road worn by use or affected by ruts, bumps or potholes. It’s not clear from the figures how badly damaged the roads are.

The Department for Transport data also shows that 3% of the B and C roads were in need of work. Unclassified roads, small lanes used for local traffic, also required repairs, with 4% in need of maintenance.

In total, there are 256 miles of minor roads in Blackpool.

However these statistics don’t add up for everyone. Gazette community correspondent Terry Bennett blames the state of Dinmore Avenue for his car needing repairs during its MOT.

He said: “My two front tyres were both worn on the inside edge which meant that I needed two new tyres, balancing, and tracking.

“This was entirely due to the third world road surface that is Dinmore Avenue, a road that I travel up and down everyday.”

Terry believes the road is so badly damaged because of the speed cushions on the road and says they need to be converted into full sized wide ramps.

Terry added: “We are cursed with the three bus cushions across the road, there are cars parked on both sides of this road meaning that all the traffic is going down the centre of the road and going over the centre hump in the same manner causing excessive wear and this is being patched up every few months.”

The area in the North West with the worst A roads is Manchester.

The highway inspections use a classification called the Road Condition Indicator. This categorises a road as green, amber or red, based on ruts and bumps.

If a part of a route is branded red it should be checked more regularly as it is likely to require maintenance.

Across Britain, 717 miles of council-run A roads were deemed in need of maintenance.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “These figures will come as little surprise to both drivers and those on two wheels who continue to have to put up with using sub-standard roads.

“We believe Britain’s pothole problem has been caused by years of under investment, especially when it comes to local roads – with councils having to make some tough decisions about where to prioritise spending.

“It’s a sad reality that investment hasn’t been sufficient to guarantee the quality of these roads.”

The condition of unclassified roads has improved, as from April 2012 to March 2013 10% of minor roads required repairs.

These statistics only refer to Blackpool’s local authority run roads.

The majority of roads in the area are the responsibility of the council while Highways England is in charge of the maintenance for motorways and some major A roads.