Why are potholes such a big problem in the UK?

It doesn’t take long on a British road to understand why potholes have become such a talking point. Whether you’re navigating a residential backstreet or a busy A-road, the odds are good that you’ve hit a jarring bump or swerved last minute to avoid one. It’s not a pleasant experience in your own vehicle, and it can be particularly worrying if you’ve decided to hire a car – at Intack Self Drive, we appreciate better than anyone that no customer likes returning to have that conversation with the hire company.

The problem doesn’t seem to be going away. UK is now estimated to have more than 1 million potholes across its road network, and that figure keeps climbing. What might feel like an occasional annoyance is actually a national issue – one that’s damaging cars, straining council budgets, and raising serious safety concerns.

So what’s behind the “pothole epidemic”? Crucially, what’s it costing us, and is anything actually being done about it?

The key reasons why potholes are such a massive problem

The British climate is famously unpredictable, but it’s consistently punishing for road surfaces. Rainwater seeps into cracks, freezes in colder weather, and expands – a process known as the freeze-thaw cycle. This repeated swelling tears up the tarmac, gradually forming the deep, tyre-busting craters drivers know all too well. In the final quarter of 2024, punctures alone made up 39% of RAC callouts – the highest percentage they recorded all year.

That damage doesn’t just happen in the depths of winter, either. Even in a relatively mild end to 2024, with almost 30% less rainfall than usual, pothole-related breakdowns still surged. The underlying problem is that many roads are already in such poor condition that even modest weather pressure is enough to push them over the edge.

Traffic plays a part too. The daily battering from cars, vans and heavy goods traffic steadily erodes the surface of roads, particularly in high-traffic areas or where previous repairs have been poorly executed. Ageing infrastructure and decades of underinvestment have also made the problem worse. In just the final quarter of last year, the RAC attended 4,709 pothole-related breakdowns – a 17% jump from the previous three months.

The costs of the pothole problem

A pothole is more than just a nuisance – as we’ve already touched upon, it can cause some seriously expensive damage. Tyres are usually the first casualty, but suspension systems, wheels and shock absorbers are also frequently damaged. And these aren’t cheap fixes. The average repair bill for pothole-related damage sits at around £460 – a cost that often lands squarely on the driver.

Councils do offer compensation in some cases, but the payouts rarely match the real-world cost of repairs. On average, people receive around £260 per claim – leaving a significant shortfall. What’s frustrating is that the cost to actually fix the pothole that caused the damage is far less. Councils typically spend about £72 to fill a pothole, which makes the entire situation feel unnecessarily costly.

What is the government doing about it?

The good news is that the government isn’t blind to the problem – in fact, it became a cornerstone of its Labour’s successful campaign to win government. Labour made a clear pledge to tackle the problem head-on, promising to fix 1 million potholes a year in England. The current government has since committed to the largest one-off road maintenance fund ever allocated to local councils: a £1.6 billion package to be distributed through to 2026, including a £500 million uplift on previous figures.

However, the funding isn’t being handed out with no strings attached. Councils will receive 75% of their allocation up front, but to unlock the remaining 25%, they must publish annual reports showing meaningful progress. Any council that fails to meet the reporting requirements risks losing a chunk of its funding – which will instead be redistributed to those delivering results. (Though it’s a measure that some councils understandably aren’t too happy about.)

Alongside the financial conditions, the government is pushing for a shift in how repairs are done. Rather than reactive patching, councils are being encouraged to carry out more preventative work such as surface dressing and structural maintenance. The aim is to improve the long-term resilience of local roads – and ideally, reduce the number of potholes forming in the first place.

So the big question at the moment seems to be: will the government’s strategy be enough? And to be honest, only time will tell! In the meantime, here at Intack Self Drive we’re sticking to what we do best: providing the very best prices for car hire and van hire.

With more than 50 years of experience to our name, we offer a wide range of cars, vans or minibuses available to rent for daily hire or flexi-hire. And if you're not sure what you need, no problem - we're always here to help! You can browse the best hire deals right here on our site or give our friendly team a call at 0125457811 and we’ll help set you up with the perfect four-wheel match for your trip!