Breakdowns caused by bad roads skyrocket amid Britain's pothole epidemic

Between July and September, the RAC's fleet of recovery vehicles attended 5,035 pothole-related breakdowns.

The figure is a 24 per cent increase from the 4,040 breakdowns recorded in the same period last year.

The total number of pothole-related breakdowns between October 1 2024 and 2025 was 25,758, an 11 per cent rise from the year before.

This made the daily average 71.

Each repair is thought to cost British families up to £590, and the RAC says common problems include broken suspicion springs, distorted wheels and damaged shock absorbers.

For those travelling on two wheels, the potholes can pose much more serious problems.

Data from the Department for Transport show that in 2023, 35 per cent of all vehicle accidents which were a result of defective road surface included motorbikes.

Of the 242 collisions, 84 involved a motorcycle, 33 of which were deemed serious and one of which was fatal.

Alongside industry bodies such as the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSR and the Road Emulsion Association (REA), the RAC has long campaigned for the Government to ensure the roads stay in a better condition.

This would primarily see local authorities taking preventative measures.

Nigel Farage has been a vocal critic of the state of Britain's roads, and has repeatedly promised his party Reform UK will tackle the problem.

In April, he declared the "huge problem" was "getting worse" and even played a round of Pothole Golf in a campaign video.

Some 59 per cent of drivers believe today's roads are in a worse state than they were last year.

Meanwhile, 47 per cent of those surveyed by the RAC said the disrepair of local, council-run roads is their biggest "bugbear" of 2025.

Last month, the Conservatives blamed Sir Keir Starmer and his party's lack of action to "hammer cowboy roadworks" for the bad state of British roads.

The Prime Minister's previous pledge to implement £10,000 fines a day has not been implemented, according to the Tories.

Nearly one third of drivers said their cars had been damaged because of potholes in the past 12 months.

Head of policy at RAC, Simon Williams, said: "Confirmation that more drivers fell foul of potholes this summer compared to last is troubling.

"If nothing else, it underlines the gargantuan task of getting the roads that millions of people rely on back to a respectable standard after years of neglect."

He added: "As a country we're a long way off having the roads that everyone deserves."

However, Mr Williams suggested that the tide could be turning.

He said: "The Government is also applying pressure on councils to do the right thing when it comes to maintaining the roads, requiring each authority in England to set out precisely what preventative maintenance it has done and plans to do - something we have long called for.

Mike Hansford, Chief Executive of the RSTA said: "It's important highway authorities consider using cost-effective preventative maintenance treatments on roads that are currently in good condition, to keep them that way for longer.

"We'd also encourage them to repair potholes and other damage as permanently as possible and, where appropriate, treat these roads the following summer to stop water getting in and causing further damage.

"On extensively potholed roads, where replacement is required, they can even save money by recycling the existing materials in the new road.

"Highway authorities that adopt these practices reports some of the best condition roads in the country and some of the lowest numbers of potholes per mile of network."

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