Driving us potty! Breakdowns caused by Britain’s pothole menace up by a quarter in just 12 months

The number of pothole-related breakdowns has risen by a quarter this summer compared with last year, new figures from RAC’s Pothole Index show.

RAC, which has nationwide mobile servicing teams, attended 5,035 pothole-related breakdowns between July and September.

This is 25 per cent more than the 4,040 breakdowns recorded during the same months in 2024.

Between October 1, 2024, and October 1, 2025, motorists suffered 25,758 pothole-related breakdowns — averaging around 71 per day – with repair bills for family cars reaching as much as £590.

This marks an 11 per cent increase in the number of incidents noted during the previous year.

Some of the pot-hole induced issues suffered by vehicles aided by RAC patrols included broken suspension springs, distorted wheels and damaged shock absorbers.

The RAC, along with other industry bodies including the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) and the Roam Emulsion Association (REA) have consistently campaigned for local authorities to do more preventative road maintenance work to proactively tackle the problem.

Their latest call to action comes as 59 per cent of drivers claim the local roads they drive on are in a worse state this year than last year with 47 per cent of people surveyed by the RAC stating that the disrepair of local, council-run roads is their top ‘bugbear’ of 2025.

Noticeably however this a sharp decrease compared to the 73 per cent who said the same in 2024. 

A pothole at JCB Power Systems in Derby on National Potholes Day, to test the ‘Pothole Pro’ machine and reaffirm the Government’s £1.6bn commitment to fix potholes in England. Picture date: Wednesday January 15, 2025.

A traffic cone warns drivers of a pothole on the road on April 25, 2024 near Northwich, United Kingdom.

Dangerous pothole found in a country road in Lower Radley Village. 

Another 29 per cent of car users claim their vehicles suffered pothole-related damage in the last 12 months.

Last night RAC head of policy 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.

‘Every pothole breakdown means hassle, frustration and ultimately cost for drivers – up to £590 for anything worse than a puncture.

‘For those on two wheels, they’re an out-and-out danger.

‘But the tide might finally be turning.

‘Despite the disappointing breakdown figures, a small but growing proportion of drivers tell us their local roads are in a better state than 12 months ago.

‘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.

‘As a country, we’re a long way off having the roads that everyone deserves.

‘ But we hope the rot has at least been stopped, and that new multi-year funding settlements give local authorities the certainty they need to plan and deliver better road maintenance programmes.

‘This will not only fix the roads that are in a desperate state, but prevent future potholes from appearing in the first place.’

Meanwhile Road Surface Treatments Association chief executive Mike Hansford added: ‘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 into the new road.

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