RAC warns intense summer sun will lead to even more potholes
Summer heatwaves have baked already brittle road surfaces
This summer’s heatwaves and record temperatures are likely to cause already poor road surfaces to break down further, creating even more potholes, warns the RAC.
Intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun chemically ages the bitumen used to bind aggregates together to create roads.
This – combined with roads absorbing even greater heat from the sun – speeds up the oxidation process causing asphalt to become brittle and crack as it cools. The RAC likens this to the way sunlight dries and cracks old paint or rubber.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “As UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in asphalt, it becomes harder and less flexible which leads to cracking. Then water penetrates cracks and as vehicles drive over them, the surface breaks and potholes start to appear. This is the last thing our already fragile roads needed.”
The poor state of the UK’s roads – and in particular local ones – is by far drivers’ top motoring-related concern as highlighted in the RAC Report on Motoring 2026, with half of drivers (51%) saying this is their biggest worry, up from 47% in 2025.
The RAC has also seen a sharp increase in the percentage of drivers who say the condition of the roads in their local area has deteriorated over the past 12 months. The figure has risen to 66% from 59% in 2025 and represents the sixth annual increase in the past seven years.
The majority of drivers (83%) say they encounter potholes on most trips they make by car, and more than half (54%) come across potholes on every trip. But the research also found it’s very common for drivers to be forced to take some form of evasive action when they encounter a pothole. Among drivers who frequently encounter potholes, 58% say they have to make an effort to avoid them on every trip, while a further 37% have to do so on most trips.
And, even prior to this summer’s incredibly hot weather, a third of drivers (34%) surveyed for the report said they had experienced vehicle damage caused by poor road surfaces, up from 29% in 2025. RAC data shows that anything more serious than a puncture is likely to cost drivers up to £590.
Simon Williams added: “Potholes are often associated with cold or wet winters, but prolonged periods of hot, sunny weather also takes its toll on the roads. Intense UV exposure and heat gradually oxidise the bitumen that binds asphalt together, making surfaces more brittle and prone to cracking. Once cracks develop, traffic and later rainfall can quickly turn them into serious defects.
“There’s nothing that irritates drivers more than potholes, something that research for the RAC Report on Motoring has once again found. Drivers’ strong feelings about the poor quality of the UK’s roads are a reflection both of a long-term lack of investment in road maintenance and repair by local authorities, and of the road surface issues exacerbated by a particularly wet winter, and now an extremely hot summer.
“Fortunately, the Government has increased its efforts to address the problem. Council highway budgets in England have been increased to a record £1.6bn for 2025-26 and in November’s Budget, £7.3bn was allocated for road improvement works between now and the end of the decade which will allow councils to make long-term maintenance plans.
“After the exceptional heat of this summer it’s even more important that we maintain our roads properly. We need to be surface dressing roads still in reasonable condition to keep them that way. This involves spreading chippings on to fresh bitumen binder and sealing them against the ingress of water, which is the enemy as it leads to cracking and potholes.
“Hopefully, more of this vital preventative maintenance work will have been carried out from April to September as it’s badly needed to improve our roads for the long term."
Mike Hansford, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association, said: “Extremes in the UK’s weather, including increased summer UV radiation, combined with colder, wetter winter conditions, can accelerate deterioration. So, it’s more important than ever to ensure our roads are made more resilient for the future through application of early life, preventative treatments.
“It’s therefore disappointing that the Road Emulsion Association reported a 6% drop in the use of surface dressing in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same time last year.
“The industry has responded to these extremes in our weather, through further modification of the binders used in these treatments, which makes them more resistant to both summer and winter extreme temperatures.”
For drivers who have suffered pothole-related breakdowns, the RAC’s nationwide team of mobile servicing and repairs technicians can save the need to get booked into a garage – by replacing suspension springs at drivers’ homes or workplaces instead. To book with an RAC Mobile Mechanic, visit www.rac.co.uk/mobile or use the myRAC app.
Read our guide to find out how to report a pothole and claim compensation for damage. Even more information about potholes and the scale of problem on Britain’s roads can be found here.
Notes to Editors
* Research for the RAC Report on Motoring 2026 was carried out between late February and early March 2026 with 2,238 drivers. Results are rim-weighted to be nationally representative of UK motorists
Press team
