It is funny that I had expounded on the lack of potholes earlier in my British experience.  I did mention that there were a few potholes to be found after our winter storm, but it was nothing in comparison to the US.  The potholes we have experienced were mostly off on the sides of the roads and in parking areas in the Ashdown Forest.

But now, it appears that some council areas in the UK are full of potholes.  Yet, these councils refuse to have the holes filled in.  In fact, they are using them as speed deterrents.  Can you imagine that?  Of course, residents are angry because of the dangers to cars and their passengers.  Not to mention the number of accidents that would occur as people swerve to and fro to dodge these potholes.  As I mentioned before, if we were to have potholes in those narrow country lanes where high hedges and winding roads obscure your view of oncoming traffic, we would be in serious trouble.

Had I spoken too soon?  Are there many potholes out there that I am not aware of?  Perhaps we are just fortunate to live in an area where the councils believe in providing good roads.

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Though I may complain about the long and winding road, one thing I’ve noticed about the roads here is the lack of pot-holes. No, I don’t miss them, and never will. Having said that, I will admit that the recent snowstorms did create a couple holes on the road that were not there previously. However, it is no where near the extent I noticed on a regular daily basis in the US.

On previous trips as well as when we finally moved here, we have always travelled on smooth roads. Even in summer time, I did not see those orange cones indicating that road work was in progress. This is very different from the US, where it seems construction work stretches from year to year, usually commencing in the summer and sometimes not ending for several years. On some roads, the construction occurs every summer. On others, pot-holes are temporarily filled in, with re-paving occurring every2-3 years. The only times I have seen the orange cones over here are when they need to dig up for new piping or wiring, etc.

The few pot-holes I’ve recently encountered have been filled in, but whatever it is they use, it does not seem to dislodge when you drive over them, like they did in the US. It makes me wonder if the materials used over here are somehow stronger than in the US. It may help explain why they do not get the same level of damage. Or, perhaps there is less traffic overall. Or, could it be because the weather is much more temperate here, less likely to have extreme changes within a very short period. Whatever the case, I appreciate the lack of pot-holes. It would be very dangerous driving and dodging pot-holes. Especially when going down those extremely narrow country lanes with tall hedges obscuring your view of any oncoming vehicles.