Middle East conflict: RSTA warns highway maintenance programmes are likely to be affected by price rises
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is resulting in rising costs for raw materials and fuel, which is creating uncertainty, with substantial price increases affecting bitumen, polymers, aggregates, fuel and related inputs, says the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA). A quote from a benchmark price tracking website on 16 March 2026 stated: ‘Over the […]
Potholes hidden in puddles cause havoc with drivers in wet start to 2026, says RAC
The RAC has said that near constant rain so far this year has led to a sudden spike in drivers being caught out by potholes hidden in puddles. Reports to the RAC from broken-down drivers about potholes in February averaged 225-a-day, nearly three-and-a-half times the 66-a-day seen in the same month last year and more […]
Pothole-related breakdowns up 15%
New figures from the RAC suggest last year saw a 15% increase in the number of drivers suffering pothole-related breakdowns. The motoring club says its patrols attended a total of 26,048 breakdowns in 2025 – the equivalent of 71 every day – where damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels were the cause, […]
The opportunity to make a difference: RSTA urges wise highways maintenance investment
If invested properly the recently announced record levels of highways maintenance funding could make a huge difference to the condition of the UK local road network by 2030, according to The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA). The RSTA has welcomed the Government announcement of a record £7.3billion of local highway maintenance capital funding between 2026/27 […]
Surface dressing playing ‘crucial role’ in road network protection, says RSTA
The recent increase in use of surface dressing by some local authorities announced by the Road Emulsion Association shows the crucial role surface treatments play in protecting our road network, says the Road Surface Treatment Association (RSTA). It is no surprise that preventative treatments such as surface dressing are being more widely used, as not […]
Pothole-related breakdowns up by a quarter in just 12 months, says RAC
The number of drivers falling foul of potholes and breaking down rose by 25% between July and September compared to the same period last year, according to new figures from the RAC’s Pothole Index. RAC patrols attended 5,035 pothole-related breakdowns this summer for jobs such as broken suspension springs, distorted wheels and damaged shock absorbers […]
Policy unpicked: What Simon Lightwood’s plans mean for Britain’s road network on today’s Highways Voices, thanks to Westcotec, SWARCO, Clearway and Arcadis
The Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood MP gave his first major speech in his new role at Highways UK today (Thursday) and you can hear it in full on today’s Highways Voices podcast. In today’s podcast, sponsored by Clearway, Westcotec, Arcadis and SWARCO, he is joined by technology innovators and industry experts who discuss the future of the UK’s road […]
RAC and RSTA call on Government to mandate preventative road maintenance training
The RAC and the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) have today written to the Minister for the Future of Roads Lilian Greenwood calling for the Government to introduce mandatory training for councils who carry out little or no maintenance to prevent potholes forming. At the start of Pothole Prevention Week (8-14 September), the two organisations […]
Does the RIS3 draft strategy put enough emphasis on preventative road maintenance strategies, asks the RSTA
Does National Highways’ Draft Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) put enough emphasis on preventative road maintenance strategies, to meet its objectives of managing road condition, securing network resilience, reducing carbon and reducing impact on road users? That is the question raised by the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), after the publication of the Draft Road […]
RSTA welcomes the focus on long-term road maintenance
The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) has welcomed the Government’s commitment to longer-term road maintenance by committing a total of £24 billion from 2026/7-2029/30 for local and national road maintenance. For a long time, the RSTA has called for more preventative maintenance to be adopted to stop more and more roads falling into poor condition […]