Data from the RAC Pothole index shows that pothole-related breakdowns were up 15% in 2025, with the RAC attending 26,048 in total, up from 22,703 in 2024.
The RAC attended an average of 71 pothole-related breakdowns each day in 2025, up from 62 in 2024.
It estimated that the cost of rectifying pothole damage to a typical family car is £590, for anything more severe than a puncture.
Data from the Government’s pothole tracking map shows that 17% of English councils are rated green for road conditions, with 7% rated red and the remainder rated amber.
14% of councils in England are ranked green for following best practices in road maintenance, while 12% are rated red.
Only Portsmouth, Rotherham and West Berkshire are rated green across all categories.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: “Record levels of funding from central Government and a requirement for councils to demonstrate how they’re making best use of it – to stop potholes appearing in the first place, not just to patch them up – should spell the end of the woeful roads many drivers are sadly used to.
“But as our latest data shows, drivers are still breaking down in their thousands as a direct result of potholes.
“So, while there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s still a frustratingly long way off.
“The effects of the country’s cold spell at the end of December and into the New Year also remain to be seen when it comes to our failing highways.
“Wet roads, followed by snow and ice, are the ideal conditions for potholes to form – especially on roads that haven’t had preventative maintenance.
“But it’s not all doom and gloom. After years of campaigning, we’re extremely pleased the Government has listened to us – and major voices within the road maintenance industry – by now demanding local authorities use techniques like surface dressing to keep their roads in a better condition for longer.
“The route to smoother driving surfaces is surprisingly simple: ensure water always drains off the roads, fix potholes as permanently as possible, seal roads against water ingress through preventative maintenance, and resurface those that have gone beyond the point of no return.”
Mike Hansford, chief executive at the Road Surface Treatments Association, said: “If we had continued to surface dress even at levels experienced in 2012, we would have sealed approximately 37,000kms of additional roads (almost 10% of the UK road network) for another 10 to 15 years, making more of the network more resistant to the sort of damage that leads to potholes.
“The recent cold and then very wet spells of weather have highlighted the fragility of the road network, so it’s important that while the immediate safety issues associated with potholes are managed, we must also focus on longer term repair solutions – including preventative treatments to roads currently in a good or fair condition to protect them from future damage.”
