The yearly rise of almost a quarter was due to a prolonged period of wet and cold weather, the AA said.

It could cost £14bn and take 11 years for a catch-up operation to repair UK roads, according to the organisation.

To get a car tyre fixed, it costs an average of £90, while alloy wheels are around £250 each. This could result in a collective repair bill of £168,000 for the 1,870 drivers whose vehicles were damaged by potholes in March.

The AA said as most repairs are reactive, they don’t last as long as a planned repair which involves removing the damaged area around the pothole.

A pothole is filled every 22 seconds in the UK at a yearly cost of £93.7m, it added, and the number filled by local authorities fell by 300,000 to 1.4million in 2022.

There has also been a rise in the cost of compensation claims for pothole-related incidents, with local authorities paying out £23m in the last year, according to the most recent Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey.

Backlog of repairs

It also found that local authorities in England and Wales received two-thirds of the money they need to repair roads and stop them from deteriorating more. To fix the backlog of repairs, it said they now required £14bn, or £68,000 for every mile of local road.

The AA is now calling for a new approach to dealing with potholes, including planned road repairs where utility companies and local councils work together. It said this will lead to less disruption for drivers and better road standards.

If you need to report a pothole, you can do so on the Gov.uk website.

‘The UK on the road to despair’

Edmund King, AA president, said: “The current pothole plague firmly puts the UK on the road to despair. The rise in the number of pothole-related incidents is the number one concern for drivers, motorbike riders and cyclists.

“Persistent cold and wet weather, coupled with poorly planned roadworks means problem roads are undoubtedly getting worse and pothole complaints will not go away until the roads are properly fixed.

“Many modern vehicles do not have a spare wheel, so if potholes damage the tyre or wheel, it becomes a bigger problem to fix before you can get on your way. We would encourage drivers to check they have sufficient breakdown cover in place to help them deal with the aftermath of a pothole puncture and also to try to be vigilant to safely avoid potholes.”