Most people think the UK’s pothole problem is getting worse, but the data suggests otherwise

There could finally be some light at the end of the tunnel for the UK’s pothole problem after new data revealed a drop in the number of pothole-related breakdowns and insurance claims. This hints at some improvement in the quality of British roads – despite what many of us might think.

Throughout 2025, the AA attended 613,638 pothole-related breakdowns, representing a drop of more than four-and-a-half per cent over the previous year. Still, this equates to almost 1,700 callouts per day, with the association’s president, Edmund King, calling the situation "unacceptable for a modern road network”. 

Similar improvements have also been reported by insurance provider Admiral, which says that pothole-related claims have dropped for the first time in five years; claims plummeted by a staggering 20 per cent year-on-year between 2024 and 2025, despite roughly a quarter of those surveyed having hit a pothole and damaged their car within the last 12 months.

Admiral’s head of customer claims, John Coles, pointed out: “It’s likely that the claims we see are just the tip of the iceberg, as these will usually be cars that have been severely damaged. If the damage is relatively minor, drivers may decide to pay for the repair themselves.”

The seeming improvements in road quality are also contradicted by another section of Admiral’s survey, which found that 57 per cent of motorsists feel the quality of British roads has deteriorated further in the past year, despite an injection of cash by the Government.

In her first Autumn Budget in 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged an extra £500 million to fund road repairs throughout 2025. This came in addition to new rules, which said that councils could risk losing precious Government cash if they failed to report the condition of roads under their jurisdiction, as well as how they spent their road maintenance money.

Yet while the numbers suggest a small step in the right direction, many believe it’s not enough; the AA is calling for what it describes as a five-year warranty on pothole repairs. 

“A five‑year warranty on every non‑emergency pothole repair would be a game changer,” explained King. “It shifts the focus from short‑term patches to long‑lasting repairs and ensures accountability from those carrying out the work. Drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists deserve roads that stay fixed – not ones that crumble again within weeks.”

In a similar vein, the RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “Potholes are symptomatic of a lack of preventative maintenance. Roads that haven’t been surfaced will start to break down as water gets into cracks, freezes and expands in the winter, creating more potholes than daffodils in the spring.”

Auto Express reported figures from the Road Emulsion Association in November 2025, which indicated that prevention work, such as this, rose by 15 per cent between April and September of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.

Much of this has been made possible by the £7.3 billion set aside by the Government over the next few years for road maintenance. However, the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s chairperson, David Giles, pointed out: “it’s not a silver bullet that will eradicate the backlog of repairs”.

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