As motorists have returned to the roads across England in increased numbers, a study by Citroën UK has uncovered the best and worst maintained local roads across the country.

As many as 1 in 20 English roads are in need of maintenance. So as the country has been getting back to work, Citroën is urging everyone to prioritise their comfort and well-being while out on the roads.

As people living in England have returned to work in increasing numbers after a summer spent enjoying the best of what the country has to offer, Citroën UK is shedding light on some of the best and the worst of England’s roads. The Isle of Wight and the North East top the table of the best roads, compiled by the French car manufacturer, with as few as 1% of their local B and C roads in the boroughs requiring urgent maintenance.

It may have been a bumper year for staycations – with a reported 18 million journeys taken over the August Bank Holiday weekend alone^† – but it seems that on the whole it’s been a rough ride across much of England’s road network. Analysis by Citroën UK shows that overall, almost 1 in 20 B and C roads across the network in England are in need of some sort of maintenance.

Indeed, some of the UK’s best-loved beauty spots are accessible via some of the most at-risk roads, including Devon’s golden coastlines, Somerset’s Chew Valley and the surrounding lakes, or York, the UK’s most visited city outside of the Capital. The North East in comparison has some of the most well-maintained local roads in England, with five out of the 12 local counties boasting the best roads in the North East.

With the roll-out of the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme, Citroën is redefining the concept of modern comfort for its customers. Features include the brand’s unique suspension system with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions®, a technology that integrates hydraulic bump stops to better control compression and rebound on uneven surfaces. This ensures that the suspension travel is much more progressive than on many competitors’ cars, allowing models such as C4 Cactus, C5 Aircross SUV and the up-coming New Citroën C4 to offer unrivalled ride comfort.

Another key component of the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme, on selected New C3, C4 Cactus and C5 Aircross SUV models as well as the New C4 when launched, is the sumptuous Advanced Comfort seats. With broad cushions and seat backs, they combine high-density foam at the heart of each seat and a thick, textured foam on the surface. This ensures optimum comfort on any journey.

And now Citroën is on the offensive in the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sectors, launching six all-new electrified vehicles in 2020 alone – including C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid, the 100% battery electric e-Dispatch van and the all-new Citroën ë-C4. These vehicles, with zero tailpipe emissions and a near-silent electric powertrain, only serve to advance the brand’s commitment to providing outstanding on-board comfort.

Souad Wrixen, Citroën UK’s Marketing Director, said: “It’s been an unprecedented year for travel up and down England, and while we’re sure that the state of the roads hasn’t put a dampener on things – we’re urging people to prioritise their comfort and well-being at these times.

“Whether that means taking the opportunity to enjoy the near-silence of an electric vehicle – like our New ë-C4 – or filtering out bumps with Citroën Progressive Hydraulic Cushions®, we think our customers have endured quite enough turbulence for one year.”

The full list of the Country’s best roads – those with fewer than 1% of classified ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads in need of maintenance – can be found below, alongside the worst offending regions, where as many as 1 in 10 roads in the Local Authority catchment were classified as ‘red’ in 2018/19. 

Towns and cities in England with the best roads (<1% of classified roads requiring maintenance)

Towns and cities in England with the worst roads (>10% of classified roads requiring maintenance)

Last year, Citroën UK teamed up with Surrey County Council to smooth over 200 potholes in the county. The rationale behind the initiative was to give drivers of all vehicle types a taste of the comfort experienced up and down the UK by owners of Citroën C4 Cactus Hatch and C5 Aircross SUV.

To find out more about Citroën and its Advanced Comfort® programme, please visit: www.citroen.co.uk

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

*Data about the condition and maintenance of roads by local authority, produced by Department of Transport 2018/19; data refers to Local Authority maintained non-principal 'B' and 'C' roads only

† https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53947878