Number of cars damaged by potholes falls but repair costs rise
‘There’s light at the end of the pothole tunnel’
There may be some “light at the end of the tunnel” for long-suffering motorists who have been victim to roads-related damage inflicted on their vehicles, after the AA was called out to fewer pothole-associated rescues in 2024.
On what is now National Pothole Day [January 15], the Pothole Partnership — formed of the AA, British Cycling, JCB and the National Motorcyclists’ Council, among other supporting organisations – reported that the AA was called to 643,318 pothole-related incidents across the previous year, a drop of 0.67 per cent from the 2023 figure of 647,690.
But while that still makes 2024 the third-worst year on record for vehicles damaged by the shocking state of our roads (the worst was 2018, in case you’re wondering), the partnership cited the government’s £1.6 billion funding pledge for local road repair as a signpost that the number of incidents should tumble further in 2025.
Incidents down, but repair fees rise
The number of pothole incidents last year may have fallen but it coincides with a rise in repair costs, according to the AA.
Repairs from potholes typically involve the tyres, wheels, steering and suspension, and cost £579 million in 2024 — an average of £300 per annum, up from £250 the year before.
More than 1,700 drivers a day have their vehicles damaged by road defects, according to the Pothole Partnership’s figures.
The £1.6bn from the government has been given to local councils across England to prioritise permanent resurfacing and repairs to damaged road surfaces, rather than the “patch and run” policies of previous years.
To that end, the body praised Whitehall’s decision to withhold a quarter of the funds for the repair work, until the councils in question proved that they were effecting long-term solutions for better maintenance.
‘Baffling’ effectiveness reporting
But the Pothole Partnership said councils had to invest in more technology and proactive repairs, in order to avoid the baffling previous system where there were 78 different methods of measuring the effectiveness of pothole repairs.
Edmund King, the AA’s president, said: “There is some light at the end of the pothole tunnel. The government has listened to the Pothole Partnership and is beginning to instigate policies that should lead to longer-term fixes rather than the recent patchwork approach.
“The good news is that pothole-related car incidents have declined but the bad news is that the cost of repairs has increased. Potholes are still the number one issue for drivers and more needs to be done to build on this improvement.”
Craig Carey-Clinch, the executive director of the National Motorcyclists’ Council, added: “The NMC welcomes the £1.6bn to be invested in local roads. Potholes and road surface-related defects are extremely dangerous for motorcycle riders.
“The same pothole that damages a car could prove fatal to a rider. With additional funding in place, action to clear the backlog of repairs can now be stepped up, plus investment in more permanent repairs.”
Related articles
- After reading about the improving pothole situation, you might like to read about how to claim for pothole damage to your car’s suspension, wheels and tyres
- Did you know a single pothole payout cost a council nearly £250,000 in 2020?
- You might also like to see our guide to repairing alloy wheel damage
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