Two of the UK’s leading breakdown services have released figures showing the extent of pothole-related callouts, with costs of repair rising.
Both the AA and the RAC have revealed the extent of pothole damage, with the AA figures covering the full year, while the RAC produced quarterly findings. The results paint a grim picture for UK roads, and come after the UK government announced £1.6 billion for local authorities to repair any ramshackle roads.
The number of pothole-related breakdowns attended by The AA fell in 2024, as government and local authorities started tackling the backlog of poorly maintained roads across the country.
Pothole damage
The AA attended 643,318 pothole-related incidents in 2024. This was a drop from the 647,690 recorded in 2023. Typically, this damage is related to tyres, wheels, steering or suspension.
This means that around 1,700 drivers each day had their vehicles damaged by road defects. Last year was the third-worst on record for the breakdown service provider. The situation of deteriorating roads is such a problem that the Pothole Partnership, formed by the AA, British Cycling, JCB and the National Motorcyclists Council and other supporting organisations, is urging local authorities with the worst areas to prioritise permanent resurfacing, over ‘patch and run’ policies.
| Year | Total Incidents | Monthly Average | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 665,702 | 55,475 | + 4.35% |
| 2019 | 611,895 | 50,991 | – 8.08% |
| 2020 | 489,455 | 40,787 | – 20.00% |
| 2021 | 520,557 | 43,379 | + 6.35% |
| 2022 | 558,052 | 46,054 | + 7.20% |
| 2023 | 647,690 | 53,974 | + 16.06% |
| 2024 | 643,318 | 53,609 | – 0.67% |
Quarterly increases
However, in its Pothole Index, the RAC saw an increase in the number of callouts, with 4,709 drivers requiring assistance between October and December, up from the 4,040 logged in the previous quarter.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total pothole-related breakdowns | 21,725 | 31,146 | 22,095 | 29,377 | 22,703 |
| Likelihood of breaking down, compared to 2006 (RAC Pothole Index) – ie 2.0 means twice as likely | 1.44 | 1.63 | 1.54 | 1.69 | 1.39 |
In the same winter period, almost four-in-10 breakdowns (39%) the RAC attended were a result of punctured tyres, due to potholes along with other factors like nails and screws. This was the highest proportion of breakdowns caused by punctures in any quarter during 2024.
Although there were fewer frost days and nearly a third (28%) less rainfall than average in the fourth quarter of 2024, the number of pothole breakdowns still rose.
The number of breakdowns could increase even more in 2025 following the recent severe weather conditions, which last week meant the RAC had one of its busiest periods for breakdowns in the five years since the COVID pandemic.
Costs rising
While the number of vehicles damaged has gone down, the cost of repairs has risen. According to the AA’s findings, in 2023, the average cost of pothole-damage repair was £250. Due to inflation, delays in the parts supply chain and the increased technology in vehicles requiring more work and diagnosis, the average repair cost in 2024 was £300.
This means the total cost of damage to vehicles rose to £579 million in 2024, compared to £474 million in 2023.
Garage data analysed by the RAC shows that drivers of typical family cars can expect to pay an average of £460 if their car needs fixing after hitting a pothole, for anything more serious than a puncture. This is around 43% more than the average cost of compensation claims paid out by councils to drivers in 2023 at £260 per claim, according to freedom of information data.
For garages, areas such as suspension require a wheel alignment when work is completed. The system is vulnerable to knocks and bumps, and therefore the continuing pothole pandemic in the UK is likely to see continued suspension checks and repairs required.
Funding withheld
The Pothole Partnership stated that it is pleased that the recent Government announcement on extra funds to fix local roads in England made a reference to 25% of funds being withheld until local authorities proved they are delivering more proactive maintenance and getting away from the wasteful patchwork approach.
This quality control is important as recent Freedom of Information Requests by the Pothole Partnership found the whole system of local authority repair standards confusing.
Local authorities have 78 different ways of measuring the effectiveness of their pothole repairs. One local authority even admits that they do not bother measuring the longevity of their repairs, underlining the wide chasm between the best and the worst.
Commenting on the findings, RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Hopefully the Government funding announced before Christmas will go some way towards literally filling in the cracks, giving road users smoother, safer surfaces.
“The £1.6 billion allocated to pothole repairs is the biggest one-off road maintenance settlement councils in England have ever been given. What is especially positive is it comes with guidance to use the money wisely by carrying out preventative maintenance, which we hope stops more potholes appearing in the future.”
