The RAC has warned this summer’s heatwaves and record temperatures are likely to cause already poor road surfaces to break down further, creating even more potholes. Intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun chemically ages the bitumen used to bind aggregates together to create roads.
This – combined with roads absorbing even greater heat from the sun – speeds up the oxidation process causing asphalt to become brittle and crack as it cools. The RAC likens this to the way sunlight dries and cracks old paint or rubber.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:
“As UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in asphalt, it becomes harder and less flexible which leads to cracking. Then water penetrates cracks and as vehicles drive over them, the surface breaks and potholes start to appear. This is the last thing our already fragile roads needed.”
The poor state of the UK’s roads – and in particular local ones – is by far drivers’ top motoring-related concern as highlighted in the RAC Report on Motoring 2026, with half of drivers (51%) saying this is their biggest worry, up from 47% in 2025.
The RAC has also seen a sharp increase in the percentage of drivers who say the condition of the roads in their local area has deteriorated over the past 12 months. The figure has risen to 66% from 59% in 2025 and represents the sixth annual increase in the past seven years.
The majority of drivers (83%) say they encounter potholes on most trips they make by car, and more than half (54%) come across potholes on every trip. But the research also found it’s very common for drivers to be forced to take some form of evasive action when they encounter a pothole. Among drivers who frequently encounter potholes, 58% say they have to make an effort to avoid them on every trip, while a further 37% have to do so on most trips.
And, even prior to this summer’s incredibly hot weather, a third of drivers (34%) surveyed for the report said they had experienced vehicle damage caused by poor road surfaces, up from 29% in 2025. RAC data shows that anything more serious than a puncture is likely to cost drivers up to £590.
Simon Williams added:
“Potholes are often associated with cold or wet winters, but prolonged periods of hot, sunny weather also takes its toll on the roads. Intense UV exposure and heat gradually oxidise the bitumen that binds asphalt together, making surfaces more brittle and prone to cracking. Once cracks develop, traffic and later rainfall can quickly turn them into serious defects.
(Picture: Magnific)
