Pothole-related breakdowns double in three months – RAC
The RAC has attended more than double the number of pothole-related breakdowns in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the last quarter of 2024.
Its Pothole Index revealed that RAC patrols attended 9,439 pothole-related breakdowns in the first three months of the year, up from 4,709 between October and December last year.
The first quarter total is also 19% higher than the first quarter of 2024.
The data also revealed that pothole-related breakdowns accounted for 1.5% of all breakdowns attended by the RAC in the first quarter of the year, with the average bill up to £460 if the damage is anything more serious than a puncture.
State of UK roads
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Our pothole-related breakdown data is a very clear reflection of the true state of the UK’s roads, and it sadly shows the pothole plague is as prevalent as ever.
“Suffering a breakdown due to wear and tear caused by the poor quality of roads is frustrating beyond belief, particularly as the average cost of repairing anything more than a puncture is £460. The cost of motoring is high enough already without having to fork out extra money to get your car back on the road. Drivers shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of these costs – they’re only having to because the roads have been allowed to get into such a dire state.
“While we know the government has just given a record amount of funding to English councils to sort out their roads, the latest Department for Transport data shows there’s plenty this money needs to be spent on, as a fifth of councils have more than 10% of their minor road networks in ‘red’ or ‘poor’ condition.
“After filling dangerous potholes as permanently as possible, we urge councils to prioritise preventative maintenance such as surface dressing to stop future potholes appearing. Government data shows there’s been a big decline in the amount of this work taking place compared to five years ago, perhaps explaining why drivers’ number-one concern in the RAC Report on Motoring is the poor state of the nation’s roads.”
