Potholes are the top concern in the RAC Report on Motoring, with a majority of drivers highlighting the issue for the first time.
The report, which surveys drivers on many aspects of motoring, saw 56% of those asked state that the condition and maintenance of roads for which councils are responsible is a top concern. This is an increase of seven percentage points compared to 2023.
Of those who cited the state of local roads as their main issue when it comes to motoring, 98% cited potholes as a leading issue.
Frustration with potholes and the condition of local roads is now 21 percentage points ahead of the second-place concern, the cost of insuring a vehicle. The third-biggest issue, the cost of fuel, is a further four percentage points back.
A record, and growing, proportion of drivers are also reporting that local roads they use are in a worse state than the 12 months before. This year, 73% of drivers said the condition of the local roads they use regularly is poorer than a year ago, compared to 67% last year and just 49% who said the same thing in 2019.
Just 6% of drivers believe local road surfaces have improved this year compared to last, a statistic that underlines the desperate state many councils now find themselves in.
The problem with potholes
The report also highlights the damage that drivers have seen caused due to a pothole strike, with numbers rising, indicating the state of roads, and the requirements of the aftermarket.
A total of 27% of drivers in the report stated their vehicle had suffered in the last 12 months, thanks to potholes. This rises to 32% among those who live in rural areas. Punctures were the most common problem reported, at 47%, followed by wheel damage at 43%, and broken suspension springs at 29%.
These last two problems can be particularly expensive for drivers, with the RAC data showing the average cost of repairing a family car coming in upwards of £460.
Separate RAC breakdown data shows that patrols went out to 25,085 pothole-related breakdowns in the 12 months to the end of June. Since the start of 2020, the total number of breakdowns most likely to be caused by potholes stands at 167,000.
The RAC’s figures show that the problem of substandard local roads is more acute in rural areas, where 81% of drivers say conditions are worse in 2024 than in 2023, and in suburban locations where the proportion is only slightly lower at 78%. Both figures are record highs.
But even in towns and cities, 53% of respondents believe the condition of local roads they regularly drive on is worse than a year earlier.
Poor quality surfaces
Alongside potholes, drivers noted poor drainage and a lack of adequate run-off in wet weather as a significant issue, with 61% of respondents in the category of road condition citing this as a concern. This was closely followed by faded road markings, with 58% of drivers highlighting this, while poor signage visibility took 34% of responses.
The fact that many roads are slow to drain in wet weather may be exacerbating the dangers potholes pose to drivers, especially when those potholes are hidden by standing surface water.
This is backed up by the fact that 86% of drivers see potholes as the road defect that poses the greatest safety risk, followed by 50% who say it is poor drainage. Four-in-10 respondents (38%) meanwhile believe faded road markings are one of the biggest hazards.
Drivers’ dismay with the state of the roads is also not confined to local roads, with the RAC’s report finding a jump this year in the proportion of drivers who say the condition of motorways and dual carriageways is one of their top concerns – 16% of drivers responded to that effect, up from 11% in 2023.
More must be done
“These new figures are a damning condemnation of the commitments made by previous governments to fix Britain’s perpetual pothole plague,” commented RAC head of policy Simon Williams.” It is as clear as day that councils simply have not had the financial support they need to bring the standard of the roads in their care up to a reasonable standard.
“It is remarkable that, on average, drivers we surveyed are far more concerned about the state of their local roads this year than they are about either the cost of motor insurance – which has been rocketing in recent years – or the cost of fuel which is still at an uncomfortably high level. If this does not underline the seriousness of the situation we now find ourselves in, we are not sure what does.
“The new Government simply must do something differently. Without a promise of far more funds for councils, its options are extremely limited. Put bluntly, the less we spend as a nation on our roads now, the more it will cost us in the future. That is the pattern we have been in for years now, as is clearly shown by data from ourselves and from many other parts of the industry.
So, the ultimate question is this: in terms of the inevitable costs we will face in the future, can we really afford not to fix our dilapidated roads?”
