New report labels North Yorkshire roads among the worst in Britain for 'pothole accident hotspots'

A new report has named North Yorkshire among the UK areas with the most recorded pothole-related accidents.

The county finds itself among the the top 10 local authorities in England and Wales in the UK Pothole Report with the most reported pothole accidents after motoring experts at Blackcircles sent Freedom of Information requests to local authorities across the UK.

With a total of 6.5 reported road collisions caused by potholes per 100,000 people, North Yorkshire came third top in 2023 behind two smaller Welsh local authority areas - Ceredigion and Denbighshire.

The FOI information secured by Blackcircles reveals the areas with the most pothole-related accidents, as well as those with the most reported potholes over the past five years, the number of potholes repaired each year and the total annual cost of pothole repairs.

James Harding, a motoring expert with 15 years of experience at Blackcircles, said: “Reports have suggested that the estimated cost of repairing England and Wales’ pothole-plagued roads could amount to almost £17 billion.

"As well as being a nuisance to motorists around the country, potholes are also putting a financial strain on local councils.

"The quality of the country’s roads has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, with the Prime Minister pledging £1.6bn towards fixing the pothole pandemic the UK faces.

The most recent figures collated by Blackcircles show that in 2024 the worst UK cities were Aberdeen with 1,958 potholes per 100 kilometres of road and Newcastle upon Tyne with 1,809.

Key facts in the UK Pothole Report

Over a quarter (26%) of drivers surveyed have had their vehicles damaged by potholes at least once.

Over four in 10 (44%) 25-34-year-olds have had their vehicles damaged multiple times by potholes.

Over a quarter (28%) of respondents agreed that potholes in their area are rarely or never fixed.