The UK’s pothole problem is getting worse
The UK’s pothole problem is getting worse, with vehicle breakdowns caused by poor roads rising sharply last year, according to new data from the RAC.
The group’s data shows that RAC patrols attended 26,048 breakdowns where potholes were to blame – damaging shock absorbers, breaking suspension springs, or distorting wheels. This is a 15% increase from 22,703 incidents in 2024, adding 3,345 more cases over the year.
This equates to an average of 71 breakdowns per day nationwide due to pothole damage, up from 62 a day the previous year. The figures, drawn from the RAC’s long-running Pothole Index (tracking data since 2006), also exceeded the organisation’s historical averages of around 25,309 annual incidents.
The trend continued into the colder months, with 4,999 pothole-related call-outs in the final quarter of 2025 (October to December) – a 6% rise (290 more) compared to the same period in 2024.
The RAC estimates the cost of pothole repairs to a typical family car is up to £590 for anything worse than a puncture.
“Record levels of funding from central Government and a requirement for councils to demonstrate how they’re making best use of it – to stop potholes appearing in the first place, not just to patch them up – should spell the end of the woeful roads many drivers are sadly used to,” said RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams.
“But as our latest data shows, drivers are still breaking down in their thousands as a direct result of potholes. So, while there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s still a frustratingly long way off.”
Williams pointed to weather as a key aggravating factor, noting that wet conditions followed by snow and ice create ideal circumstances for potholes to form – especially on roads lacking preventative maintenance.
“The route to smoother driving surfaces is surprisingly simple: ensure water always drains off the roads, fix potholes as permanently as possible, seal roads against water ingress through preventative maintenance, and resurface those that have gone beyond the point of no return,” he said.
Mike Hansford, Chief Executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association, echoed the call for longer-term prevention, highlighting how reduced surface dressing in recent years has left swathes of the network more vulnerable.
“If we had continued to surface dress even at levels experienced in 2012, we would have sealed approximately 37,000kms of additional roads (almost 10% of the UK road network) for another 10 to 15 years, making more of the network more resistant to the sort of damage that leads to potholes.
“The recent cold and then very wet spells of weather have highlighted the fragility of the road network, so it’s important that while the immediate safety issues associated with potholes are managed, we must also focus on longer-term repair solutions – including preventative treatments to roads currently in a good or fair condition to protect them from future damage.”
