Potholes are in the news yet again as the RAC reports a 15% surge in breakdowns caused by fractured road surfaces.
Patrols attended 26,048 breakdowns in 2025 – the equivalent of 71 every day – where damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels were the cause.
That’s up 3,345 from the 22,703 logged in the previous year, or 62 a day, demonstrating the UK’s fast-growing pothole epidemic.
Looking at just Q4 2025, there was an increase of 290 pothole breakdowns compared to the same period the previous year – an increase of 6%.
And the RAC warns that the worst could still be to come. Head of policy Simon Williams said: “The effects of the country’s cold spell at the end of December and into the new year remain to be seen when it comes to our failing highways. Wet roads, followed by snow and ice, are the ideal conditions for potholes to form – especially on roads that haven’t had preventative maintenance.
“Record levels of funding from central Government and a requirement for councils to demonstrate how they’re making best use of it – to stop potholes appearing in the first place, not just to patch them up – should spell the end of the woeful roads many drivers are sadly used to. But as our latest data shows, drivers are still breaking down in their thousands as a direct result of potholes. So, while there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s still a frustratingly long way off.”
