Which Is The UK’s Most Shocking Road?

Shock absorber manufacturer KYB has mounted a campaign to find the UK’s ‘most shocking’ road. It sounds like a bit of fun, but it has a serious point, as KYB is keen to draw public attention to the state of Britain’s roads and the damage being inflicted on the nation’s vehicles. Many roads are full of potholes and often have cracked tarmac and excessive traffic calming measures – speed humps especially are a major cause for complaint, particularly from drivers of low slung or heavy vehicles. Other hazards such as sunken or upstanding manhole covers also pose a threat to road users.

These obstacles can have serious consequences on vehicle performance and cause long-term damage to components, notably the suspension. Sue Clough, customer services manager at KYB, believes that this can have major implications for safety and stopping distances, saying: “Shock absorbers and coil springs are crucial elements of a vehicle’s suspension and need to be in good working order to keep the wheel properly in contact with the road.

“Most importantly, worn shock absorbers can dramatically increase braking distance, meaning the difference between a safe emergency stop and hitting another vehicle, pedestrian or even a child.”

Worn shock absorbers have other safety implications, such as a reduction in safe cornering speed, increased risk of aquaplaning, increased or irregular tyre wear and additional stress and wear on other components. KYB recommends that shocks are checked every 12,000 miles and replaced every 45,000 miles.

Participation in the KYB campaign is simple; just complete the form on the special website www.ukshockingroads.co.uk and entries will be judges by a panel of automotive experts, with participants having the chance to win an exciting driving experience day. The closing date for entries is 1st February 2007.