Over 38,000 potholes remain unfixed!

Potholes are a major concern for motorists, and local authorities are facing increased pressure, with over 38,000 remaining from 2024, according to data from a public sector insurer.

The Government has recently announced a £1.6 billion injection to repair these holes, a 50% increase compared to last year. This is split out at £327m for the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber. £327m for the East and West Midlands, £244m for East of England, £378m for the South East and London, and £300m for the South West.

However, despite these figures a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from Zurich Municipal has found that potholes are on the rise and local authorities need to do more to improve the local road network and safety.

According to its own data, there was also a 19% increase in pothole-related claims in 2024, bringing the total to 10,648. This data also shows that drivers are more likely to face a pothole-related issue during the first few months of the year, with more than 5,000 claims for damage to alloys, suspension and tyres occurring during this period.

Of those 5,000, almost half were made in March, which makes it the most dangerous month for drivers on the road.

Further analysis has shown that these road defects cause over £2.5 million worth of damage to vehicles annually, with the average cost currently at £600 per driver.