Pothole breakdowns surge 17 percent as £1.6bn gov fund promises repairs and preventative fixes

Figures released by the RAC have revealed a 17% increase in pothole-related breakdowns across the last three months of 2024.

Between October and December, the service attended 4709 vehicles with damaged wheels and suspension components – a figure up by 669 compared with the previous quarter – but there are some positives.

“We urge local highways authorities to resurface those in the worst condition and surface dress other roads to stop them deteriorating further,” the RAC’s Alice Simpson commented.

Motorcyclist riding through pothole

“The £1.6bn allocated to pothole repairs [before Christmas] is the biggest one-off road maintenance settlement councils in England have ever been given.

“What’s especially positive is it comes with guidance to use the money wisely by carrying out preventative maintenance.”

The RAC announced their findings on January 15, which also happened to be National Pothole Day – an occasion marked by Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, with a visit the JCB factory near Derby.

Motorcyclist near pothole in road

Here, she operated the firm’s Pothole Pro machine, which is currently used by 20 local authorities – with the device taking eight minutes per repair, at a cost of around £30 a go. “It’s time for change and we are investing £1.6bn to fix up to seven million more potholes across England this year, including over £75m for the East Midlands Combined Authority,” the Minister said.