News & Features

Calls for Better Pothole Repairs on National Pothole Day

Posted in General News on Wednesday, January 15th, 2025

The Pothole Partnership is calling for more permanent repairs and greater use of innovation and technology on National Pothole Day (15 January) to reduce vehicle damage and injuries to cyclists and motor cycle riders. 
 
One year after launching, The Pothole Partnership comprising of The AA, British Cycling, JCB and the National Motorcyclists Council and other supporting organisations, have welcomed the government’s commitment to £1.6bn funding for local road maintenance in England but is pressing local authorities to up their game to the standards of the best by investing in more technology and making proactive repairs. 
 
Vehicle damage 

As part of the Pothole Partnership, The AA can reveal that pothole related incidents fell in 2024 when compared to the previous year. The AA attended 643,318 pothole related incidents in 2024, compared to 647,690 in 2023. Typically, these are damaged tyres, wheels, steering or suspension. 

While last year picks up the bronze medal of ‘worst year for potholes’, the Pothole Partnership is hoping that the £1.6 billion pothole funding being given to local councils in England will ensure 2025 falls to near the bottom of the table. With more than 1,700 drivers a day having their vehicles damaged by road defects, the Partnership is urging local authorities to prioritise permanent resurfacing and repairs over adopting the ‘patch and run’ approach of previous years. 
  

Unfortunately, the decline in pothole-related incidents has been overshadowed by an increase in repair costs. In 2023, the average cost of repair was £250, however due to inflation, delays in the parts supply chain and more advanced technology within cars, the average cost of repair rose to £300. This means the total cost of pothole damage to vehicles rose to £579m in 2024, compared to £474m in 2023. 
 
Positive steps to improve standards 

The Pothole Partnership is pleased that the recent government announcement on extra funds to fix local roads in England made a reference to 25% of funds being withheld until local authorities proved they are delivering more proactive maintenance and getting away from the wasteful patchwork approach. The announcement said: “The Government is also making sure authorities spend the money wisely, collect the right data, and deliver proactive maintenance before potholes start to form. The funding has built-in incentives, with 25% of this uplift held back until authorities have shown that they are delivering.” 

This quality control is important as recent Freedom of Information Requests by the Partnership found the whole system of local authority repair standards confusing. Local authorities have 78 different ways of measuring the effectiveness of their pothole repairs. One local authority even admits that they don’t bother measuring the longevity of their repairs, underlining the wide chasm between the best and the worst. Edmund King, AA 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.” 
 

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Edmund Hobby's Gravatar
Edmund Hobby

Thursday, January, 23rd, 2025

I use an A road at least once a week from my home to the nearest Town as I have to do the shopping. At other times due to living in the country I use other A roads. Points that jump out are: NOT filling the potholes in properly, costing more in the long run than a proper repair. The habit of marking a pothole to see which one to do often alongside a lesser, at the time of marking, part of the hole which by the time the repair is done a large hole is leftalongside. Not going down into the lower levels just flashing over the top. We get heavy goods all day and everyday and silly patches DONT work. We appreciate there is only so much money but surely once a pothole is identified, the rectification should include ALL of the hole. Photo verification is enough. Its not the tarmac that costs but the transport and labour. A couple of years back the County painted a white H line outside my home. The contractor had travelled from their home base some 40 miles away. I cant say this was the norm but tipping down with rain, tarmac thrown into a hole stamped on by a size ten boot clutter off clearly too wet to get the thumper plate off the lorry.