The state of the UK’s roads
In the first three months of 2017, the RAC reportedly dealt with over 6,500 breakdown jobs that were likely attributable to the UK’s poor road surfaces. Potholes, in particular, appear to be an ongoing headache for all drivers.
The last time that so many pothole-related breakdowns were recorded in a three-month period was in the first quarter of 2015 (almost 6,900 breakdowns were recorded then). However, in the early months of 2015, the country was subjected to more days of frost and rainfall when compared to the first three months of 2017, when the nation experienced mild and moderately dry conditions.
David Bizley, a chief engineer at the RAC, commented: “Our figures sadly show a surprising and unwelcome first quarter rise in the number of breakdowns where the poor quality of the road surface was a major factor. We had expected a figure no worse than that recorded in the first quarter of 2016 (4,026) and it is very concerning that the roads, strangely, appear to have deteriorated in a mild, comparatively dry winter.”
VW service,repairs and MOT provider Inchcape Volkswagen, explores just how bad the UK’s road surfaces are when it comes to potholes…
Pothole hotspots
Based on the number of road hazards reported to FillThatHole.org.uk, they have produced a league table of the top ten locations with the most pothole hazards:
| Position | Authority | Region | Total reports | Open reports | Fixed reports | Percentage fixed |
| 1 | Surrey | South East England | 7,657 | 6,473 | 1,149 | 15% |
| 2 | Hampshire | South East England | 4,133 | 3,241 | 849 | 21% |
| 3 | Essex | South East England | 3,804 | 2,912 | 878 | 23% |
| 4 | Hertfordshire | South East England | 3,557 | 3,004 | 530 | 15% |
| 5 | Kent | South East England | 3,478 | 3,105 | 364 | 10% |
| 6 | Lancashire | North West England | 3,301 | 2,484 | 792 | 24% |
| 7 | Oxfordshire | South East England | 3,245 | 2,225 | 985 | 31% |
| 8 | Glasgow | Scotland | 3,059 | 2,444 | 601 | 20% |
| 9 | Cheshire East | North West England | 2,980 | 2,110 | 787 | 27% |
| 10 | West Sussex | South East England | 2,845 | 2,034 | 783 | 28% |
This is how the top ten places of FillThatHole.org.uk’s league table looks when ranked on open reports though:
| Position | Authority | Region | Open reports | Total reports | Fixed reports | Percentage fixed |
| 1 | Surrey | South East England | 6,473 | 7,657 | 1,149 | 15% |
| 2 | Hampshire | South East England | 3,241 | 4,133 | 849 | 21% |
| 3 | Kent | South East England | 3,105 | 3,479 | 364 | 10% |
| 4 | Hertfordshire | South East England | 3,004 | 3,557 | 530 | 15% |
| 5 | Essex | South East England | 2,912 | 3,804 | 878 | 23% |
| 6 | Lancashire | North West England | 2,484 | 3,301 | 792 | 24% |
| 7 | Glasgow | Scotland | 2,444 | 3,059 | 601 | 20% |
| 8 | Buckinghamshire | South East England | 2,399 | 2,754 | 343 | 13% |
| 9 | Oxfordshire | South East England | 2,225 | 3,245 | 985 | 31% |
| 10 | Devon | South West England | 2,114 | 2,519 | 385 | 15% |
Frequency of potholes being filled in
According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey 2017, the average number of potholes filled in 2016/17 per local authority across England was 13,468.
The top ten authorities ranked on fixed reports in FillThatHole.org.uk’s league table is as follows:
| Position | Authority | Region | Fixed reports | Total reports | Open reports | Percentage fixed |
| 1 | York | Yorkshire & Humber | 1,187 | 1,341 | 151 | 89% |
| 2 | Surrey | South East England | 1,149 | 7,657 | 6,473 | 15% |
| 3 | Bristol | South West England | 1,094 | 1,475 | 199 | 85% |
| 4 | Oxfordshire | South East England | 985 | 3,245 | 2,225 | 31% |
| 5 | Cheshire West & Chester | North West England | 913 | 1,252 | 30 | 97% |
| 6 | Essex | South East England | 878 | 3,804 | 2,912 | 23% |
| 7 | Northumberland | North East England | 869 | 1,123 | 5 | 99% |
| 8 | Hampshire | South East England | 849 | 4,133 | 3,241 | 21% |
| 9 | Islington | London | 825 | 985 | 0 | 100% |
| 10 | Lancashire | North West England | 792 | 3,301 | 2,484 | 24% |
Number of drivers reporting damage in the past 12 months (ranked by region)*
| Region | Number of drivers |
| South East England | 941k |
| London | 733k |
| South West England | 721k |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 720k |
| North West England | 687k |
| West Midlands | 609k |
| Scotland | 521k |
| Eastern England | 457k |
| East Midlands | 365k |
| North East England | 343k |
| Wales | 201k |
Average cost to repair pothole damage (ranked by region)*
| Region | Average cost |
| Eastern England | £163.68 |
| South East England | £124.93 |
| London | £124.65 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £120.00 |
| South West England | £119.01 |
| Scotland | £109.02 |
| West Midlands | £87.59 |
| North West England | £87.01 |
| East Midlands | £86.33 |
| North East England | £72.66 |
| Wales | £61.83 |
Structural road condition percentage split in England
Thankfully, 53% of the UK roads are in a good condition, meaning they have 15 years or more residual life remaining. However, 30% of the roads are only in an adequate condition, while a worrying 17% are in poor condition meaning they have a residual life of less than five years remaining.
