Britain’s roads are now a “national disgrace”.

That’s the conclusion of the 2026 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance.

With a record repair backlog of £18.6 billion and worsening conditions despite the recent government’s promised remedies, drivers are facing rising repair bills and safety risks due to related vehicle damage.

Down the road

The annual report paints a stark picture of a road network struggling under years of underinvestment, heavy traffic and increasingly extreme weather.

It found that only around half of local roads in England and Wales are now in good condition, while the cost of fixing the backlog has risen by £1.8 billion in just a year.

Despite councils filling an estimated 1.9 million potholes over the past year, the problem is worsening, with new defects forming faster than repairs can be completed.

Essentially, quick patching and short-term minor repairs are effectively allowing the roads to disintegrate.

David Giles, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, said the findings reflect a systemic failure to invest in long-term solutions.

He described the condition of local roads as a “national disgrace”, warning that short-term funding approaches are trapping authorities in a cycle of reactive repairs rather than preventative maintenance.

Crumbling pathway

The ALARM report highlights how decades of patchwork repairs have failed to improve the overall resilience of the network.

Previous surveys have shown that roads are resurfaced on average only once every 90–97 years, far beyond their intended lifespan, while more than half of the network has less than 15 years of structural life remaining.

Motoring organisations say drivers are increasingly feeling the consequences.

The RAC has reported a rise in pothole-related breakdowns, warning that poor road surfaces are leading to “avoidable” repair bills and unsafe journeys.

Similarly, the AA said deteriorating roads are turning many routes into “patchwork obstacle courses”, with worsening conditions driven in part by wetter winters and ageing infrastructure.

The financial impact on motorists is also growing.

Pothole damage is now estimated to cost UK drivers up to £1.8 billion a year, with millions forced to pay for repairs to tyres, suspension and wheels.

Separate industry estimates suggest the average repair bill for pothole damage is around £144, with total annual costs reaching £1.7 billion in recent years.

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes described Britain’s roads as “embarrassing” and “fast becoming a national scandal”.

Lyes added: “Around one in six local roads are effectively on life support with less than five years of structural integrity remaining. What was once deemed an irritant with expensive consequences, poorly maintained local roads now represent a real road safety hazard. Our research suggests drivers are taking risky actions to avoid hitting potholes, while for those on two wheels, they can cause serious injury or worse. We need a long-term approach that invests in proper surface maintenance, rather than the all too often ‘patch and dash’ repairs that crumble at the first sign of bad weather.”

Watch out

Safety concerns are mounting as well.

Campaigners, including the National Motorcyclists Council, have warned that potholes pose a particular danger to cyclists and motorcyclists, increasing the risk of serious injury or loss of control.

In response to the report, the Department for Transport said it is investing record levels of funding into road maintenance, including £1.6 billion for local road repairs and a wider £7.3 billion commitment over several years.

Officials also pointed to a 15% increase in preventative maintenance work in the past year, arguing that this approach will help reduce the formation of potholes over time.

However, industry experts and local authorities say the funding still falls short of what is needed to reverse decades of decline.

Analysis suggests councils would need billions more, and sustained long-term budgets, to bring roads back to an acceptable standard and prevent further deterioration.

The Local Government Association has echoed calls for a long-term funding settlement, warning that without it, councils will remain stuck in a costly cycle of temporary fixes.

Realistic repairs

The ALARM report concludes that Britain’s roads are one of the country’s most heavily used assets but among its most underfunded.

It is essential for the economy as well as for personal travel, and problems such as delays and vehicle damage will cost the economy far more than the repair bills over time.

Alongside this is the growing issue of road safety, with drivers watching the road surface rather than the road ahead and swerving to avoid potholes, causing significant concern for personal safety.

Furthermore, as has been highlighted in recent surveys, motorists are failing to service or even repair their vehicles due to the cost-of-living squeeze.

Without a realistic shift towards long-term investment and preventative maintenance, it warns, both the backlog and the cost to motorists will continue to rise, leaving drivers to pay the price for a network that is increasingly failing beneath their wheels.