2023 to be one of the worst on record for pothole damage, says AA

More than 50,000 drivers had their journeys brought to a halt due to pothole related damage, compared to 41,790 the July before, new analysis from the AA shows.

Year-to-date, the AA has attended 362,172 pothole related incidents, making 2023 the third worst year for pothole breakdowns after seven months, behind 2017 (366,227) and 2018 (398,832).

During the summer months, councils across the UK would have been hoping for long stretches of dry weather to fix roads ahead of the winter months.

While their progress would have been hindered in July, it is hoped road maintenance teams can catch up across August and September.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “July’s rainfall caused more headaches for drivers last month with tyres, suspensions and steering mechanisms all being damaged as the rain and puddles hid the potholes lurking underneath.

“Councils would’ve been hoping for a dry summer so they could get as much repair work carried out before the real autumn and winter weather hit.

“They will now be under more pressure to get their planned works completed before the weather really turns against them.”

Cousens says that, with 2023 looking to be one of the worst years on record for pothole damage, the AA wants to see more investment in local roads maintenance funding.

“As well as the financial damage to vehicles, at this time of year we also see more cyclists and motorbike riders on the roads where the damage can sadly be fatal,” he added.

The AA analysis comes after research from the RAC showed that RAC patrols went out to more than 8,100 pothole breakdowns between April and June 2023, the highest number in five years.

Since the start of 2023, the RAC has dealt with 18,250 breakdowns for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels – call-outs which are most likely caused by defective road surfaces. 

A Freedom of Information request made by the RAC also revealed that councils have forked out more than £11 million over the last four years to drivers who successfully claimed their vehicles had been damaged by potholes.

Data provided by the 172 councils (of the 208 across the UK with responsibility for highways) that responded shows £2.41m was paid to drivers in 2020/21, £2.71m in 2019/20 and £3.61m in 2018/19 – meaning the collective compensation paid by these councils fell by a third (33%) from 2018/19 to 2021/22.