Last month’s Autumn budget brought with it many conversation-starting announcements, including the news that the Chancellor has pledged £500 million to fix potholes on the nation’s roads. While some consider this number a drop in the ocean compared to the true extent of the issue, the acknowledgement that potholes are a major issue for road users will be welcomed by many.
Six in ten drivers say that the condition and maintenance of roads -for which councils are responsible- was one of their top motoring concerns, with many reporting the condition of their local roads has deteriorated even since 2023. The frustration motorists feel on the issue is rooted in the danger’s potholes pose, as well as the extra costs that inevitably fall to the individual when roads aren’t well maintained.
The problem with potholes
In research from the RAC, it was revealed that more than a quarter of drivers had experienced vehicle damage due to potholes, and that for those who live in rural areas, this number increases to nearly one-third. What’s more, even if a driver doesn’t experience acute damage, regularly having to drive over potholes can contribute to cumulative issues with their tyres, suspension and steering system. Last year, the RAC attended 30,000 pothole-related breakdowns, up by 33% compared to the previous year.
The dangers of potholes can be worse still for cyclists and motorcyclists, particularly when they are navigating unfamiliar roads. According to Cycling UK, 15% of the cyclists they help after being injured in a crash were involved in an incident involving road defects.
The unexpected jolt of a pothole may throw a rider from their bicycle or cause them to lose control, while motorcyclists can experience what’s known colloquially as a ‘tank slapper’ or speed wobble, where the front tyre goes out of alignment with the rear tyre and causes the front end of the bike to shake wildly. At best, this can be a frightening experience, and at worst it can cause accidents.
So what causes potholes, and why have they become one of the major concerns for travellers on UK roads?
Wear and tear: How potholes are formed
A pothole is a cavity in the road surface, and they are caused by a combination of weather conditions and the daily pressures of traffic. Water seeps through small cracks in the road, softening the base layer below the tarmac, which during cold spells will freeze. Frozen water then expands and places upward pressure on the road surface, while constant traffic exacerbates the issue from above. Eventually, after a cycle of freezing and thawing, potholes appear as the base of the road becomes undermined and the worsening cracks in the road surface cause it to fall apart.
Once a pothole has appeared, more water can infiltrate below the surface, which worsens the problem over time and degrades road quality. This is where potholes can become costly – without regular repairs to alleviate potholes, the damage becomes more extensive and therefore more expensive to resolve.
Poor road maintenance: a growing problem
Annual road maintenance budgets in the UK were halved from £4billion to £2billion from 2016 to 2019, and many years of underfunding have left councils with growing backlogs of road repairs and fewer resources to tackle them. In 2024, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that The Department of Transport “does not have a good enough understanding of the condition of local roads”, while the President of the AA, Edmund King, flagged the need for longer-term solutions rather than the current “patchwork” approach.
The lack of maintenance on local roads creates further problems than just potholes. This year, the Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA) has called on the new UK government to take action on road markings. While potholes tend to hit the headlines, road markings are often overlooked, despite being one of the most cost-effective safety solutions. The continuous upkeep, growth and improvement of road safety markings are also vital to the development of autonomous and driver-assist safety functions.
Whether it’s confusing ‘ghost markings’, chipped and faded road markings, or markings that no longer fit the setting, failing to maintain this key part of road infrastructure can make travelling more dangerous. It also hinders innovation, where new technologies and developing ideas can be implemented to improve our roads and encourage different forms of travel.
As pointed out by the RSMA, road markings are a key part of the continued efforts to diversify means of transport in urban areas to create healthier communities and improve air quality, while also serving to protect more vulnerable road users. According to Rob Shearing, CEO of the RSMA, “Road infrastructure in the UK is chronically underfunded and the approach to road maintenance is fragmented across authorities”. He hopes “that voices across the sector are heard to improve conditions, quality and overall safety in the future.”
There are very few people who aren’t affected by the quality of our roads, and the extent of public concern regarding potholes reflects the importance of road maintenance in our daily lives. There is a real need for our authorities to take a proactive and cohesive approach, and for the funding to be supplied in order to enable them to do so – ensuring the good quality of essential elements like road markings that directly impact road safety and usability.
Whether concerning road markings or defects in the road surface, getting ahead of the issue and making sure our local roads are well-maintained not only saves considerable expense later down the line for local authorities, it also saves money for individual motorists, whilst also making the road environment safer and more pleasant for everyone.
