RAC’s Pothole Index showed a 17% rise in breakdowns caused by potholes in the last quarter of 2024.
Drivers of typical family cars can expect to pay an average of £460 if their car needs fixing after hitting a pothole for anything more serious than a puncture, according to RAC data.
This is around 43% more than the average cost of pothole compensation claims paid out by councils to drivers in 2023, at £260 per claim.
Alice Simpson, RAC spokesperson, said the Government pledge “may go some way towards literally filling in the cracks”, but warned that recent cold weather would only create more problems as excess water freezes and expands in cracks in the road.
Simpson was speaking as part of ‘National Pothole Day’, which promotes awareness of road safety and reminds motorists of the risks of these road craters.
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Lilian Greenwood, future of roads Minister, marked the day (15 January) with a visit to the JCB factory outside Derby to see a new piece of technology called the Pothole Pro.
The machine claims to fix a pothole in eight minutes at a cost of around £30.
Greenwood said: “Potholes are a clear sign of decline in our infrastructure. It’s time for change and we are investing £1.6bn to fix up to seven million more potholes across England this year.
“JCB’s Pothole Pro is one of the many great examples of using new technology to repair potholes faster and demonstrates how companies are harnessing new technology to repair potholes faster.”
The £1.6bn allocated to pothole repairs is the biggest one-off road maintenance settlements that councils in England have ever been given, but the challenge is also huge.
RAC estimates that there are around six potholes per mile on council-controlled roads in England and Wales.
If your vehicle has been damaged, you can fill in a claim form on the Government website.
