Newcastle is the UK’s pothole tyre damage hotspot
Mon, 26 Jan 2026
More car tyres are damaged by potholes in Newcastle-upon-Tyne than any other region in the UK, detailed new analysis has revealed.
The dataset, compiled by Blackcircles, shows that 33,274 potholes were recorded in Newcastle during 2024. Alongside this is a very high rate of potholes-per-road-length, further increasing the risk of a tyre strike.
Aberdeen is second, albeit a long way back with 20,987 potholes recorded in 2024. Then it’s Cardiff, with 17,536 potholes, while Croydon's highways are peppered with 11,074 of them.
Waltham Forest, Hackney and Southampton round-out the top seven.
The researchers add that it doesn’t mean every street in these places is unsafe — but does indicate where drivers may need to take extra care, particularly after heavy rain or cold snaps.
To put those figures into context, Blackcircles research found that Cambridgeshire repaired 52,229 potholes in 2024/25, averaging around 55,400 repairs over the last five years, giving “a sense of the scale involved, even outside the biggest cities”.
The RAC says the UK is thought to have more than one million potholes, while the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) puts the cost of fixing the road repair backlog in England and Wales at £17bn.
This makes the government’s £1.6bn boost to fix the UK's potholes a mere drop in the ocean.
“Drivers should treat pothole risk like part of the journey,” said a spokesperson for Playcasino, which analysed the Blackcircles findings.
“Keep tyres at the right pressure, scan further ahead than usual and slow down near patched sections and standing water.
“If a pothole strike happens, check the tyre sidewall and wheel straight away, documenting the exact location [of the damaged road suface] while it is still clear.”
A top tip here is to add a pin in the maps app on your smartphone, so you can easily share this during any compensation claim with the local council or authority.
