Car damage caused by potholes hit a five-year high in 2023, new figures from the AA reveal.

AA patrols attended more than 600,000 pothole-related incidents in 2023

The data, issued to mark National Pothole Day (15 January 2024), shows the breakdown recovery specialist dealt with 631,852 pothole-related incidents last year.

Rounded up on a national scale, the figures indicate some two million vehicles were affected by poor road maintenance – up 16.39% when compared to 2022 (543k) – costing drivers almost half a billion pounds.

The AA has now formed a new partnership to tackle the scourge of potholes, backed by a five-point plan.

The coalition represents road users – drivers, motorcycle riders and cyclists – along with repairers and has been created to press the case for more effective permanent repairs.

Pothole Partnership members – which also include IAM RoadSmart, the National Motorcyclists Council, British Cycling, the British Motorcyclists Federation and manufacturer JCB – have sent their newly unveiled pledge to central and local government today.

While the coalition has welcomed extra funding for maintenance in recent years, including the £8.3bn from HS2, it wants funding ring-fenced and expenditure increased in the early years and used more effectively. This includes for local authorities to limit the practice of temporary pothole repairs or patches and, where possible, every pothole or patch to be repaired permanently.

Members say it’s often a false economy to just patch potholes when that stretch of road needs resurfacing. New technology – such as the JCB Pothole Pro – can not only speed up repairs, but also make them last longer.

The partnership also wants all local authorities / contractors to adhere to UK-wide repair and inspection standards, and report annually on the repairs undertaken.

It’s also calling for central and local government to guarantee ringfencing of all road maintenance funding to help deliver innovations that enable permanent repairs.

A recent survey of more than 11,000 AA members found that the top transport issue for 96% of drivers was increased investment in repairing and upgrading the roads (i.e., fixing potholes).

The AA also notes that whilst potholes can be a very expensive inconvenience for those on four wheels, they can be life-changing and even fatal for those on two wheels.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “Currently, we often have a vicious circle of: pothole formed; damage caused; pothole patched; pothole reappears with more damage caused – when what we need are more permanent repairs. Potholes are the number one concern for 96% of drivers and can be fatal for those on two wheels so hopefully pressure from the Pothole Partnership will lead to permanent repairs.”

The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) has backed the work by the coalition.

Rick Green, chair of the association, said: “We agree with the Pothole Partnership’s view that the funding allocation needs to be front-loaded so local highway engineers can also start addressing the backlog of necessary structural repairs now.

“This upfront investment would then enable local authorities to implement planned preventative maintenance programmes going forward. This would support a lower carbon, whole-life approach to local highway maintenance, helping to deliver sustained improvements and enhanced network resilience, saving money over the long-term, and ensuring our local roads are able to support future challenges.”