Roads Minister to visit Derbyshire as cost of pothole repair hits record high
Nearly £580 million was spent on repairing vehicles that had broken down due to poor road surfaces last year
Last updated 15th Jan 2025
The total cost of repairing vehicles damaged by potholes hit a record high last year, new figures show.
Common problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
The AA said the total cost of fixing vehicles it attended in the UK which had broken down because of poor road surfaces in 2024 was £579 million.
That is compared with £474 million during the previous 12 months and is the highest total on record.
The increase happened because a slight fall in the number of incidents, from 647,690 to 643,318, was more than offset by a leap in average repair bills, from £250 to £300.
The AA attributed the rise in average repair costs to a combination of inflation, more advanced technology in cars and shortages of spare parts.
Roads minister Lilian Greenwood will visit a JCB factory in Derbyshire on Wednesday to meet some of the company's engineers and test its Pothole Pro machine.
The DfT said the device can fix a pothole in eight minutes and is currently used by 20 local authorities.
Ms Greenwood said: "Potholes are a clear sign of decline in our infrastructure, and for too long roads like those in Derbyshire have been left in a state which endangers and costs road users.
"It's time for change and we are investing £1.6 billion to fix up to seven million more potholes across England next year, including over £75 million for the East Midlands Combined Authority.
"JCB's Pothole Pro is one of the many great examples of using new technology to repair potholes faster and demonstrates how companies are harnessing new technology to repair potholes faster."
Another breakdown rescue company, the RAC, said the number of pothole-related callouts it received between October and December was 17% more than in the previous three months.
It warned that the issue could worsen this year because of recent severe weather, which last week meant the RAC had one of its busiest periods for breakdowns in the past five years.
RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: "In the aftermath of this month's blast of snow and ice, we may see the unwelcome trend continue in 2025.
"To prevent water-damaged roads in future, we urge local highways authorities to resurface those in the worst condition and surface dress (a preservation treatment) other roads to stop them deteriorating further.