Industry calls for urgent response to pothole crisis
Industry bodies and road safety charities have united to call for urgent action to address the state of UK roads after a new survey revealed the depth of the pothole crisis.
This comes after the publication of the damning 2025 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, commissioned by the Asphalt Industry Alliance.
It found that fixing the UK’s pothole pandemic would take 12 years and cost £17bn, and urged the government to take a long-term view to funding instead of focusing on short-term gains.
The report also warned that the condition of UK roads could further deteriorate, as 17% of the road network, or 34,600 miles, has less than five years’ structural life remaining, and 52% has less than 15 years left.
IAM RoadSmart
IAM RoadSmart policy and standards director Nicholas Lyes said: “The AIA’s report lays bare the inadequate repairs happening on our local roads, where despite spending billions on filling potholes, the backlog costs are increasing. Potholes are an expensive headache for drivers but for those on two wheels they pose a serious road safety hazard. Moreover, if drivers are swerving to avoid them, they are risking a collision.
“While filling a pothole provides temporary respite and a brief improvement in the safety of the road surface, it is essentially a sticking plaster because the section will crumble away under the weight of traffic and from the effects of a cold winter. We need to start properly resurfacing our roads to ensure we’re not throwing good money at bad but most importantly to ensure smooth and safe journeys.”
TyreSafe
TyreSafe, the UK’s road safety charity dedicated to tyre safety, also called for urgent action.
Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe chair said: “The findings of this year’s ALARM survey make for stark reading. The deterioration of our roads is not just an inconvenience – it’s a direct threat to road safety. Tyres are particularly vulnerable to pothole damage, and without urgent action, more and more road users will find themselves at risk.
“We hope that policymakers commit to long-term, sustainable road maintenance funding to protect both the infrastructure and the safety of drivers. In the meantime, TyreSafe continues to advocate for regular tyre checks, ensuring that drivers are aware of any damage before it leads to a potentially catastrophic failure.”
RAC
Meanwhile, RAC head of policy Simon Williams, said: “Once again, these figures paint a bleak picture of the state of the nation’s roads and confirm what a majority of drivers have known for a long time – that in far too many parts of the country, road surfaces are simply not fit-for-purpose.“The lack of investment in our roads is a false economy as it just leads to bigger repair costs in future – something local authorities can ill-afford. In the meantime, all road users continue to pay the price with uncomfortable journeys, avoidable breakdowns and repair bills that they only incur because potholes are so bad.
“We’re committed to working closely with the road maintenance sector, including the AIA, to get the message to government that councils need to have certainty of resources to look after one of their most valuable assets – the roads millions of us use every day.”
