SUVs are making Britain’s potholes worse, say scientists

Engineers link reduced lifespan of roads to shift to heavier cars, some bought to navigate damaged surfaces

Drivers who choose SUVs are compounding the pothole problem, experts have warned, as research showed hundreds of thousands of people bought bigger cars to navigate damaged roads.

Scientists said the cumulative effect of increasing numbers of heavier vehicles was a contributory factor in Britain’s potholes getting worse.