Why was road transport so poor in the 18th century?

A stagecoach stuck in the mud

The most realistic way for a person to travel on land in the 18th century was by slow and usually unreliable stagecoaches or carts that travelled at one and a half miles per hour. The best method of transport for a person travelling alone was on horseback.

Heavy industrial items and raw materials were usually transported by packhorses, coastal shipping or along navigable rivers. This was a transport system that needed to be improved.

Problems with road transport

• It was difficult to travel along roads in bad weather. They were often muddy during the winter and dusty during the summer.
• People made little effort to keep the roads in good condition.
• Each British parish was responsible for keeping their roads in good condition during the 16th century. The 1555 Road Act appointed people to improve roads for six days a year without payment. This meant that the work they did was very poor.
• Roads were often full of potholes and very muddy.
• Travelling could be dangerous and passengers travelling on the outside of coaches risked serious injury or death if they were thrown from the carriage.
• There were long delays on the roads because of their poor condition.