The Pothole Partnership has called for a minimum five-year warranty on every non-emergency pothole repair, with any defect found during that time being repaired at no additional cost.

Under this new proposal, any repeat repairs needed during the five years would be the responsibility of the original contractor who completes a repair and would be done without any further charge to local authorities.

Formed two years ago by the AA, JCB, British Cycling and the National Motorcyclists Council, the Pothole Partnership has ‘consistently warned' that much of the recently announced additional government funding to local authorities is still being wasted on short-term pothole repairs, with too many locations re-visited within 12 months.

Recently published data has shown that the AA has been called out to 613,638 pothole incidents in 2025 – averaging 1,681 every day – including 58,380 last January and 58,275 in December. 

FOI requests made by the Partnership also revealed ‘stark inconsistencies' in how councils measure and manage pothole repairs, with 78 different methods used across the UK. One council admitted it does not measure repair longevity in any way, with another council reporting over 2,200 of its 31,000 annual pothole repairs required repeat visits.

Whilst the partnership did welcome the Department for Transport's (DfT) Road Maintenance Rating Map, it added that it would ‘like to see greater transparency in the figures on whether each authority is investing in the technology that delivers permanent pothole repairs'.

Edmund King, AA president, said: ‘Potholes are more than an irritation – they cause damage, disruption and danger on a daily basis. Despite billions spent by successive governments, our patrols still attended more than 600,000 pothole-related breakdowns last year. That is simply unacceptable for a modern road network.

‘A five-year warranty on every non-emergency pothole repair would be a game changer. It shifts the focus from short-term patches to long-lasting repairs and ensures accountability from those carrying out the work. Drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists deserve roads that stay fixed – not ones that crumble again within weeks. The damage costs drivers hundreds of thousands of pounds and can cost those on two wheels their lives.'