Cost of pothole damage hits record high
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The total cost of repairing vehicles damaged by potholes hit a record high last year, new figures show. Common problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels. The AA said the total cost of fixing vehicles it attended in the UK which had broken down because of poor road surfaces in 2024 was £579 million.
That is compared with £474 million during the previous 12 months and is the highest total on record. The increase happened because a slight fall in the number of incidents, from 647,690 to 643,318, was more than offset by a leap in average repair bills, from £250 to £300.
The AA attributed the rise in average repair costs to a combination of inflation, more advanced technology in cars and shortages of spare parts. It is part of a campaign group named the Pothole Partnership, which marked National Pothole Day on Wednesday by urging local authorities to prioritise permanent resurfacing and repairs over “patch and run policies” which often lead to potholes reappearing.
Total local road maintenance funding for England provided by the Government in the 2025/26 financial year will be nearly £1.6 billion, representing a £500 million uplift compared with the previous 12 months. The Department for Transport (DfT) previously said it will make sure highway authorities “spend the money wisely” and deliver “proactive maintenance” before potholes start to form.
