With an estimated 1 million potholes on UK roads, drivers are becoming increasingly concerned about the rate at which roads are repaired and the costs of replacing car tyres damaged by poor road conditions.  

Motoring experts at Blackcircles sent Freedom of Information requests to local authorities across the UK to reveal the areas with the most reported potholes over the past five years, the number of potholes repaired each year and the total annual cost of pothole repairs. Blackcircles also surveyed 2,000 people as part of their research, to determine what impact potholes have on UK motorists.

The full research can be viewed here, however the cities that “top” the list in England, Scotland and Wales were:

Newcastle comes out on top as the UK’s pothole capital

In 2024, 3,274 potholes were recorded in the northeast city across its 1,016 kilometres of roads. When comparing this figure to 2020, the number of potholes in Newcastle has increased by over three-quarters (88%). While the city came out on top for the number of reported postholes last year, it is also the city that repaired the most potholes. Across the city, 3,001 potholes were repaired per 100 kilometres of road.

Aberdeen has been named the pothole capital of Scotland

Following Newcastle at the top of the table, Aberdeen recorded the second-highest number of potholes in 2024, with 1958 per 100 kilometres of road. Between 2020 and 2024, the number of potholes in Aberdeen increased by over a third (35%. When looking at the cities where the most potholes were repaired, Aberdeen takes third place, with 1,323 potholes repaired per 100 kilometres of road in 2024.

Cardiff ‘beats’ other Welsh locations to be named Wales’ pothole capital

Despite the number of potholes in Cardiff rising by less than a tenth (5%) between 2020 and 2024, the Welsh capital finished third in the pothole ranklings overall. Last year, 1,574 potholes were recorded per 100 kilometres of road in Cardiff, while the capital had the second-highest number of potholes repaired at 1,588 per 100 kilometres.

The survey revealed the following about the state of UK potholes:

• Nearly six in 10 (57%) Belfast residents have had potholes damage their vehicles. 
• Liverpool and Sheffield have the slowest road repair rates. Over one in six residents (17%) assert that it takes over six months for potholes to be patched in their cities.
• Over a quarter (26%) of drivers surveyed have had their vehicles damaged by potholes at least once.
• Over four in 10 (44%) 25-34 year-olds have had their vehicles damaged multiple times by potholes.
• Over a quarter (28%) of respondents agreed that potholes in their area are rarely or never fixed.

Further findings also revealed:

• Over the past 5 years, Bexley has seen the biggest increase in potholes across the local area. The number of potholes in the London borough quadrupled (400%) from 442 to 2,184, despite a brief drop in 2022, where only 392 potholes were recorded.
• The London borough of Croydon spent the most on pothole repairs in 2024. Across the 12 months, £517,746 was spent on pothole repairs per 100 kilometres of road, which is equivalent to £5,177 per kilometre.
• In 2023, the average payout for pothole-related claims in Hertfordshire totalled £367, which is higher than any other area in the study. Ceredigion recorded 8.2 collisions per 100,000 people as a result of pothole-related accidents, which was the highest in the UK.

Blackcircles’ James Harding commented on the findings from the pothole report:

“Reports have suggested that the estimated cost of repairing England and Wales’ pothole-plagued roads could amount to almost £17bn. The quality of the country’s roads has been heavily in the spotlight over recent weeks, with the Prime Minister pledging £1.6bn towards fixing the pothole pandemic the UK faces, but many believe more needs to be done.

“As well as being a nuisance to motorists around the country, potholes are also putting a financial strain on local councils. The findings from our report revealed that Croydon was the area of the UK where the highest amount was spent repairing potholes, at over £500,000 per 100 kilometres of road. When combining the total cost spent on pothole repairs across the top 10 local authorities in our research, over £2.2 million has been spent, further highlighting the impact the quality of UK roads has on the country’s finances.”

(Pic: RAC)