The RAC’s annual ‘Report on Motoring’ highlights that only 6% of drivers think the state of the roads has improved since 2019 – compared to 11% last year – while 52% feel conditions have worsened compared to 49% 12 months ago.

“These findings are a big concern given that last year’s relatively mild winter should not, in normal circumstances, have led to a further decline in road surface quality,” said the motoring group’s head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes.

He praised local authorities which took the opportunity of reduced traffic during the early stages of the pandemic to ramp up repair works, but noted that Covid may have meant some were unable to keep up their planned maintenance programmes.

“While in last month’s Spending Review the Chancellor committed £1.1Bn to local roads maintenance in 2021-22, including £500M to fix potholes and resurface roads, we continue to call for a long term funding strategy for roads under local authority control to improve and guarantee their condition into the future,” he said.

Andrew Hugill, Director of Policy and Technical Affairs, CIHT said: "This report further highlights the need for our recommendations in Improving Local Highways published earlier this year to be acted upon".

Local Government Association transport spokesman David Renard commented: “Despite the pandemic, councils have been working hard to fix potholes and repair road surfaces as well as supporting the increase in cycling infrastructure through temporary road measures.”

Extra government funding for this activity has helped, he added, but warned that local roads are deteriorating at a faster rate than can be repaired by authorities.

“With devolved infrastructure and transport budgets and long term funding, councils can improve our roads and deliver the infrastructure improvements that allow people to move around in less carbon intensive and more sustainable ways. The Government should address this in next year’s Comprehensive Spending Review.”

The RAC survey shows increased support among motorists for ringfencing a proportion of funds from fuel duty contributions for spending on local road maintenance. “Simply ring fencing 2p per litre of existing fuel duty revenue alone would secure £4.7Bn of funding over a five year period,” said Nicholas Lyes.

In addition to growing concerns about the condition of road surfaces, the survey also highlights an increase in complaints related to other aspects of maintenance including the visibility of signage and the amount of roadside litter.

Further top issues singled out by motorists in the RAC survey included drivers using handheld phones and the aggressive behaviour of other drivers.

(Photograph: Asphalt Industry Alliance)