New research by Northgate Vehicle Hire has ranked areas of England, Scotland and Wales in terms of their road quality.
The company said its British Road Maintenance Index 2025 compared areas based on road condition, pothole volume, and investment in repairs.
It found that Derbyshire was the worst performing area, with 66% of classified roads in poor condition, and over 90,000 potholes reported in a single year.
Other poorly performing areas were said to include Nottingham, Merton, Brighton and Hove, and Havering.
In contrast, Reading, Luton, and Rutland were said to lead the way with higher levels of investment and fewer potholes.
Northgate argued that poor road surfaces had a big effect on businesses which faced vehicle downtime from resulting damage.
Sales and marketing director Spencer Davi said: “Downtime can have far-reaching consequences for businesses—not just in terms of lost productivity, but also in how it affects customer service and brand perception.”
