Worst road surfaces in England revealed
The worst road surfaces in England have been revealed in a new study, with Derbyshire finishing bottom of the list.
This is according to analysis by motor trade insurance broker ChoiceQuote of government data on road maintenance and investment.
It found that roads in Derbyshire require the most work, with 28% of A roads and motorways, 38% of B and C roads and 36% of U roads requiring maintenance in 2024. This means that more than a third of all roads in the county need improving.
Merton and Havering in London were ranked second and third worst.
At the other end of the scale, Sandwell’s road network saw the most maintenance work carried out, with 14.5% of A roads and 6.9% of B, C and U roads receiving work between April 2023 and April 2024.
Reading was second place with 18.5% of its A roads and 0.9% of its B, C and U roads undergoing maintenance work, while Luton was third with 15.1% of the London district’s A roads maintained and 3.7% of its B, C and U roads.
A concerning state
Phil Leese, specialist motor trading manager at ChoiceQuote, said: “While certain regions throughout the country are getting much needed maintenance on their roads, this is not the story across much of England.
“Instead, roads remain in a concerning state, with astonishing statistics showing that in some local authorities, over one-third of them are in urgent need of maintenance.
“Unfortunately, the widespread neglect of road maintenance across the country will lead to increasing damage to vehicles traveling on these deteriorating surfaces, causing unnecessary harm and resulting in hefty repair bills.”
