The Government is 'unaware of the state of local roads' or how effectively councils are using available funds to tackle potholes, Whitehall's spending watchdog has found.
Local authorities are not required to report the condition of unclassified roads, which make up 62 per cent of their networks, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report published on Tuesday.
This results in 'significant gaps' in its understanding of the quality of road surfaces, it concluded.
Road safety groups described the findings as a 'damning indictment of the state of UK local roads and their upkeep'.
The Department for Transport (DfT) told the NAO it decided to limit the data it collects to minimise administrative burdens.
The report stated that the lack of information received by the department means it 'does not know' the impact of its funding for local roads maintenance, which totalled £1.1billion in the 2022/23 financial year.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams described the report as 'yet more damning evidence that England's local roads are in a truly dire state of repair'.
He added: 'It's bad enough that historically the Government doesn't really know just how bad our roads are.
'But it's absolutely staggering that it doesn't know whether the money it gives to councils has been used effectively.
'This has to change and we very much hope the new Government acts fast to fix it.'
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: 'To fix a problem, first it must be fully understood, hence the need for much greater focus on collecting data about our broken roads.
'This is especially true in today's economic environment where there are huge demands being made on taxpayers' pounds.'
AA president Edmund King said the NAO's findings are a 'damning indictment of the state of UK local roads and their upkeep'.
He went on: 'The new Government has an opportunity to implement longer-term funding and stricter controls and guidance, to bring about more innovation leading to permanent repairs rather than the current patchwork approach.'
The NAO made a series of recommendations to the DfT, including reviewing its reporting requirements for local road conditions, and requesting information on other key road assets such as bridges.
A DfT spokesperson said: 'We are absolutely committed to tackling the poor state of our roads.
'That's why we've pledged to support local authorities to fix local pothole-ridden roads for the long term.'
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