Potholes used to be a winter headache for drivers. Now? They’re an all-year nightmare — and this summer’s heatwaves have made things worse.
According to the AA, scorching road surfaces are crumbling under extreme heat, leading to a jump in breakdowns. Last month alone, there were 50,000 pothole-related call-outs, up 2.1% compared to July 2024, reversing the progress made earlier this year.
AA president Edmund King says the hot weather has “starkly exposed the fragility” of Britain’s roads, even after Prime Minister Keir Starmer told councils to get on with fixing them.
While some investment has helped, King says it’s not enough, especially with worn tyres, more tourist traffic on rural roads, and the usual suspects like damaged suspension, broken springs and buckled wheels adding to the chaos.
JCB’s Ben Rawding, part of the Pothole Partnership campaign with the AA, says we need to ditch quick fixes and focus on long-term repairs. Right now, fixing England and Wales’ potholes is estimated to cost £16.8 billion, while the Government has set aside £1.6 billion for road maintenance this year, £500 million more than last year.
The Local Government Association says councils need long-term funding to prevent potholes from forming in the first place.
Britain has already been hit by four heatwaves this year, and the latest is expected to last into next week.
