Pothole breakdowns surge by 15% as drivers face £600 repair bills
Wed, 18 Feb 2026
Last year saw another 15% increase in the number of drivers suffering pothole-related breakdowns costing almost £600 for anything worse than a puncture.
In 2025, the RAC attended a staggering 26,048 breakdowns involving damaged dampers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels. The figure was up more than 3300 over 2024’s total.
It is the equivalent of 71 pothole-related breakdowns every day.
Things could get even worse, adds RAC head of policy Simon Williams, following the cold spell at the end of December and into the New Year.
It “remains to be seen” what the impact is, as “wet roads, followed by snow and ice, are the ideal conditions for potholes to form—especially on roads that haven’t had preventative maintenance”.
The analysis follows the government’s new ‘traffic light’ ratings system for roads, which helps drivers see what condition their local roads are in, along with how councils are spending their funding and whether they are following best road maintenance practice.
Depressingly, the findings show fewer than 1 in 5 councils in England are rated ‘green’ for road conditions, with the majority rated ‘amber—and 7% in the worst ‘red’ condition.
A similar majority are rated amber for best practice when it comes to road maintenance, although the figures do show nearly 3 in 4 councils rated ‘green’ for efficiency in spending funding. Overall, only three councils – Portsmouth, Rotherham and West Berkshire score green in all three categories.
Williams said there is now record levels of funding from central government, along with a requirement for councils to demonstrate how they’re making best use of it, to stop potholes appearing in the first place.
“But as our latest data shows, drivers are still breaking down in their thousands as a direct result of potholes.”
The motoring organisation puts the cost of pothole-related repairs at up to almost £600 for anything worse than a puncture.
“While there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s still a frustratingly long way off.”
Best practice in avoiding potholes is surprisingly simple, adds Williams.
“Ensure water always drains off the roads, fix potholes as permanently as possible, seal the roads against water ingress through preventative maintenance, and resurface those that have gone beyond the point of no return."
