The motoring group reports its patrols went to the aid of 4694 drivers who had most likely broken down after hitting a pothole in the first three months of this year. This is a threefold increase from the last quarter of 2020, when the figure was 1461.

In total 2.4% of all call outs attended by RAC patrols between January and March were for broken suspension springs, distorted wheels and damaged shock absorbers.

“These figures highlight what is a genuinely uncomfortable truth for both road users as well as local and national governments: in many cases, the condition of many roads is now in a desperate state,” said RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes.

He added that quieter roads brought about by national lockdowns could have been an ideal time for councils to start to fix problem road surfaces ready for the arrival of more traffic as restrictions are eased. “Sadly, our data suggests this may not have been the case and may also suggest many councils are still simply patching up potholes rather than fixing them properly.”

It also calls for Government to ringfence some funds over a five year period to give councils the resources to plan and deliver longer term road maintenance.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: “Despite the pandemic, councils have been working hard to repair our roads, fixing a pothole every 19 seconds as well as supporting an increase in other infrastructure through temporary road measures.

“Councils want to continue to improve our roads and deliver the infrastructure improvements that allow people to move around in less carbon intensive and more sustainable ways.”

(Photograph: RAC)