With many councils disputing their pothole repair colour rating, and concerns as to how the data was actually captured, Nextbase is calling for more evidence and clarity on the government funded map. Nextbase, and four million dash cam users are fighting potholes with actual evidence thanks to its Road Safety Club, reporting on over 11 billion miles of road in the past year.
On National Pothole Day, Bryn Brooker, Head of Road Safety at Nextbase, said:
“The recent conversation around pothole traffic light rankings has brought a welcome and visual spotlight on to the topic of unsafe roads but it’s far from a perfect solution.
“For one, the map focuses solely on potholes, leaving out other critical road safety data. Our research reveals that road safety challenges extend far beyond potholes to include dangerously faded road markings, obscured or damaged signage, and missing guard rails that put drivers at risk every day. Unsafe drivers, a lack of accessible public road safety information, and changing road regulations are all bigger safety problems than potholes for UK drivers.
“Some councils have also rightly questioned the ranking system for its lack of clarity and transparency around how data was gathered and assessed. Without understanding the methodology behind their ratings, councils can’t effectively challenge results or identify specific areas for improvement. This transparency is important for both councils and the general public, who want to see how critical decisions about road safety and funding allocation are being made.
“There’s also a risk that areas labelled ‘orange’ could be left in limbo, deemed not critical enough for immediate action, yet serious enough to worsen over time without access to the £300,000 put aside for assistance for red-rated councils.
“The billions of miles reported globally by our Road Safety Club demonstrate the scale of infrastructure challenges we face, while the visual evidence we’re collecting from our dash cams can be crucial for the transparency being called for by unhappy councils.”
Meanwhile, The AA can reveal that pothole related incidents fell in 2024 when compared to the previous year. The UK’s biggest breakdown provider attended 643,318 pothole related incidents in 2024, compared to 647,690 in 2023. Typically these are damaged tyres, wheels, steering or suspension.
While last year picks up the bronze medal of ‘worst year for potholes’, the Pothole Partnership is hoping that the £1.6 billion pothole funding being given to local councils in England will ensure 2025 falls to near the bottom of the table. With more than 1,700 drivers a day having their vehicles damaged by road defects, the Partnership is urging local authorities to prioritise permanent resurfacing and repairs over adopting ‘patch and run’ polices in previous years.
However, The AA says that the decline in pothole-related incidents has been overshadowed by an increase in repair costs. In 2023, the average cost of repair was £250, however due to inflation, delays in the parts supply chain and more advanced technology within cars, the average cost of repair rose to £300. This means the total cost of pothole damage to vehicles rose to £579m in 2024, compared to £474m in 2023.
Furthermore, according to Quotezone, motorists in England applied for more than £10 million in pothole compensation damage from county councils during 2024/25, yet less than 10% of those claims were paid out. Using data gathered from Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) from 13 county councils across England in Q4 2025, shows a large sum of unsuccessful claims – as 92% of drivers say the council compensation process needs to be made easier.
Although the total number of reported potholes has decreased across the county councils – with 233,047 reports being made between April 2024 and March 2025, compared to a reported 276,932 in the previous 12 months – thousands of drivers applied to their local council for help with repair bills for their pothole damaged vehicles.
In December 2024 the government announced a record £1.6 billion investment to fill potholes and repair roads in 2025 to 2026, while also encouraging the public to help by reporting potholes in their area.**
Despite this investment, a recent survey conducted by Quotezone found that 73% of drivers believed potholes in their area had gotten worse over the past 12 months, with 95% saying they should be able to claim compensation from their local council for damages.
From the data gathered across the county council areas from April 2024 – March 2025, nearly 10,000 drivers applied for £10.2 million in compensation from local county councils, with only £666,712 successfully approved for payment – that’s just 6% receiving funds to help with repairs.
(Picture: Staffordshire County Council)
