Monday 13 March 2017 7:02 pm

Potholes beware: Britain’s roads are getting worse and hitting drivers in the pocket

Potholes on UK's roads are hitting drivers in the pocket, with damage to vehicles costing an average of £1,600 per incident, according to research released today.

The analysis of 10,000 over-50s revealed eight out of 10 motorists think road maintenance has got worse over the last few years.

Councils and highways agencies have come under increasing pressure to cut budgets over recent years, leading to suggestions that the amount of work done to maintain the UK's roads has been reduced.

Previous research by the Local Government Association suggested the total bill for repairing potholes on Britain's roads could hit £14bn within the next two years.

And today's analysis of those people traditionally seen as a more careful driving age bracket highlight the areas blighted by poorly maintained asphalt.

Britain's worst area	Percentage of those saying roads are in a bad state
Scotland	84 per cent
North West	83 per cent
South East	81 per cent
South West	80 per cent
East Anglia	79 per cent

Meanwhile, the state of London's roads was the best, according to the survey, which indicated only 20 per cent of respondents felt the highways were in poor condition.

“We know that around nine out of ten over 50s regularly drive so they have a great insight into the state of the UK’s roads and they have clearly told us they think not enough is being done to maintain them," said Paul Green of Saga, which commissioned the research

"Often with potholes it is the hidden damage that can cost drivers dear, it’s well worth getting your car thoroughly checked out to ensure that all damage is repaired as soon as possible.

“We would urge motorists to contact the local council as soon as they see a pothole in order to get them to take action before a driver gets a nasty surprise.”