Melting roads cause spike in pothole crashes

SCORCHING summer temperatures have been blamed for a surge in breakdowns linked to potholes.

- By Neil Lancefield

The AA said it had 50,091 UK call-outs in July caused by poor road surfaces.

This is up 2.1% compared with the same month last year and reverses a trend of declining pothole breakdowns earlier in 2025.

The breakdown organisation said heat has caused a worsening of already weak road surfaces, while worn or damaged tyres become more susceptible to failure.

There has also been an increase in tourists using rural roads which are often low-priority for maintenance.