Data shows major increase in UK pothole problem in 2025

The UK’s pothole problem grew by 15 per cent in 2025, according to data from the RAC.

The RAC says it attended 26,048 pothole-related breakdowns last year, an increase of 3,345 compared to 2024. There were also 4,999 pothole-related breakdowns attended by the RAC in the final three months of last year alone, an increase of 290 compared to the last three months of 2024 – a six per cent increase.

“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,” said the RAC’s Head of Policy Simon Williams.

“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.”

Williams added that central government demands for local councils to use techniques intended to keep their roads in better condition should help the problem, even if 2025’s data shows a decline.

“After years of campaigning,” Williams said, “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.”

Surface dressing is a method of effectively weatherproofing a road surface by applying a layer of bitumen and aggregate to the existing surface that seals it on top, thus not allowing water to seep into the surface and cause damage due to its changing volume and form as temperatures increase or decrease.

“If we had continued to surface dress even at levels experienced in 2012, we would have sealed approximately 37,000km of additional roads for another 10 to 15 years, making more of the network more resistant to the sort of damage that leads to potholes,” said Mike Hansford, chief executive at the Road Surface Treatments Association.

“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.”

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