Concern over the state of local roads reaches record high
Concern about the state of local roads has reached record levels, with more than half of motorists saying it was a top worry for the first time, new research by the RAC has found.
More than half of drivers (56%) said the condition and maintenance of roads for which councils are responsible was one of their top motoring concerns.
That is up seven percentage points from 2023, and is the first time the figure has been above 50% since the motoring services company began including the topic in its annual poll in 2015.
Nearly three out of four (73%) respondents to the latest survey said the condition of the local roads they use regularly was poorer than a year earlier, compared with 67% who agreed with that statement in 2023.
The figure rose to 81% for drivers in rural areas.
Some 27% of those questioned said their vehicle suffered damage as a result of potholes in the previous 12 months.
The most common problem reported was a puncture (47%), followed by wheel damage (43%) and broken suspension springs (29%).
The RAC has written to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh and Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood calling for urgent clarification on the future of local road maintenance funding.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “These new figures are a damning condemnation of the commitments made by previous governments to fix Britain’s perpetual pothole plague.
“It’s as clear as day that councils simply haven’t had the financial support they need to bring the standard of the roads in their care up to a reasonable standard.
“It is absolutely remarkable that, on average, drivers we surveyed are far more concerned about the state of their local roads this year than they are about either the cost of motor insurance – which has been rocketing in recent years – or the cost of fuel which is still at an uncomfortably high level."
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A report by the Whitehall spending watchdog the National Audit Office, published last month, found the Government has “significant gaps” in its understanding of the quality of road surfaces.
Claire Holland, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: “Limited resources and a £16.3 billion local roads repair backlog means councils have had to prioritise road repairs according to local circumstances."
In October 2023, the Conservative government announced it would provide £8.3 billion of extra funding over 11 years to fix potholes in England.
This was part of its Network North strategy to use money saved by scrapping the planned extension of HS2 north of Birmingham.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Rebuilding Britain means modernising our transport infrastructure, and we are absolutely committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads.
“We will maintain and renew the network, including supporting local authorities to fix up to one million more potholes a year, to ensure our roads serve users, are safe and tackle congestion.”
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