What causes potholes and why does the UK have so many?
The government has announced funding of £1.6bn to fill potholes and repair roads, saying it would help fix the equivalent of 7 million potholes in 2025 to 2026.
Local councils are being urged to "get on with the job" of fixing potholes as the government announced more funding to address the issue.
The government announced £1.6bn to fill potholes and repair roads, saying the funding would help fix the equivalent of over 7 million extra potholes in 2025 to 2026.
It said local highways authorities across England will get £500 million more funding. Announcing the allocations across different local authorities, it said the funding has built-in incentives and some of it will be held back until authorities show they are delivering.
The Department for Transport said the investment comes as RAC figures show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales and the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average, with some repairs costing much more.
The allocations include:
over £327 million for local authorities in north west, north east and Yorkshire and Humber
over £372 million for local authorities in East Midlands and West Midlands
over £244 million for local authorities in the East of England
over £322 million for local authorities in the south east and London
over £300 million for local authorities in the south west
As the funding was announced, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs. That’s a cost that can easily be avoided by investing properly in our roads."
He said the funding to repair roads would: "get Britain moving again – with a clear expectation that they get on with the job."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander added: "Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but today’s record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads."
Read more: 'Revolutionary' £165,000 machine claims to fix potholes in 8 minutes
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This is the biggest one-off road maintenance funding settlement councils in England have ever been given, so we have high hopes it’s the turning point that ends the degradation of our roads and finally delivers fit-for-purpose, smooth surfaces for drivers and all other road users.
“What’s particularly positive is that this announcement is not just about giving councils money to fix dangerous potholes, it comes with the important caveat of using the money wisely by carrying out preventative maintenance to stop more potholes appearing in the future.
"It’s also good to see the government proactively encouraging drivers to report potholes, requiring councils to collect the right data to capture the true state of their road networks and incentivising authorities that use the money to good effect.”
Earlier this year, a report warned that roads in England and Wales are reaching "breaking point", with the rate of potholes needing repairs reaching an eight-year high.
Research by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) showed the amount needed to fix a backlog of local road repairs had reached a record £16.3bn, up 16% from £14.0bn the previous year.
Figures obtained from councils across the country by the Liberal Democrats showed there is a "postcode lottery" when it comes to fixing potholes.
According to the figures, presented in April last year, 556,658 potholes were reported in the financial year of 2021/22 across 81 councils, up from 519,968 in 2017/18.
Watch: Pothole row sees council demand £100k from villagers
What is a pothole and how do they form?
A pothole is a depression in a road surface caused by wear or sinking.
They start out as tiny cracks in the surface but can grow if not fixed.
The friction of vehicles' tyres on a road heats up the surface and causes it to expand.
Over a period of time, this expansion leads to cracks in the surface. Water can then seep into these cracks. Potholes are formed when the water in those cracks freezes and thaws.
Why does the UK have so many potholes?
The UK is more susceptible to potholes because of its climate.
Cold and wet weather, particularly during the winter months, means water can get into those cracks in the road and then freeze, eventually leading to potholes.
The heavy road use and traffic on the UK's roads is also a factor.
Councils also have tight budgets to fix potholes.
How to report potholes?
Anyone who wishes to report a pothole can go to the government's dedicated website for the problem.
From there, they will be directed to their local council's pothole reporting service, where they can fill in an online form.
To report the pothole, they need the location of the pothole and details of its size. They must also upload any pictures of the pothole.
Councils vow to inspect the area identified within about three to five working days.
If the pothole is on a motorway or an A road then reports should be directed to Highways England.
In Wales, roads are managed by Traffic Wales, while potholes in Scotland can be reported at My Gov Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, potholes can be reported through the NI Direct website.
How to claim for pothole damage?
The government says motorists may be able to claim compensation if their vehicle is damaged by a road.
They should contact the organisation responsible to tell them about the damage, why they think they are responsible and details of where and when the damage was caused.
According to the AA, motorists should start by reporting the pothole to their local authority.
After having their car repaired, they may be able to claim compensation from the council.
Motorists should inform the council of the location of the pothole and include details of quotes, invoices and receipts for their repairs.
If the claim is rejected, motorists can appeal.
Watch: Rod Stewart hits the road to fix Essex's potholes
