Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of potholes on rural road safety.

In 2024 (the latest year for which figures are available), an estimated 4% of reported personal injury road collisions on rural roads in Great Britain were assigned a contributory road safety factor of ‘poor or defective road surface or deposits on road’. This is based on factors assigned by a reporting police officer based on information available at the scene or within a short time of the collision.

The Department keeps road safety under continual review and recognises that the condition of the road surface is an important factor in maintaining safe rural roads. Local highway authorities are responsible for the maintenance of their roads and for assessing and managing risks, including those arising from potholes, based on local conditions and evidence.

The Government recognises that historic underinvestment has made it difficult for authorities to maintain their roads in the way they would want to. The Government has therefore confirmed a record £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years.