Potholes cost £1 million every day

07 April 2009

Scotland has the worst roads
Southern roads have best surfaces
See the best and worst areas

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Drivers are paying an estimated £1 million every day in repairs because of Britain's potholed roads, according to new research.

The problem also gets worse the farther north you travel, according to data gained from insurance company Warranty Direct.

The research has revealed that over an eight-year period, 6% of cars each year suffer axle and suspension damage that can be traced back to poor road surfaces. The average repair bill is £240, which equates to around £1.1 million each day for British motorists.

It's even worse news if you live in Scotland, with five of the 10 worst-rated regions being north of the border. Four of the remaining five were in northern England. The 10 best-rated regions were all in southern England.

Warranty Direct's managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher, said: 'It's incredible how clear a north-south divide these figures appear to show.

'Whether this is due to colder weather causing more northern roads to crack or just poor maintenance, it seems to underline a clear difference in the condition of highways across the country.'

10 worst-rated regions for pothole damage

1 Ayrshire

2 Northumberland

3 Renfrewshire

4 Angus

5 County Durham

6 Aberdeenshire

7 North Yorkshire

8 Warwickshire

9 Lanarkshire

10 Tyne and Wear

10 best-rated regions for pothole damage

1 Oxfordshire

2 Shropshire

3 Gloucestershire

4 Bedfordshire

5 West Sussex

6 Wiltshire

7 Surrey

8 Kent

9 Dorset

10 East Sussex