The UK Government today (21/01/2026) published its official Road Conditions in England to March 2025 statistics, providing the most recent comprehensive assessment of the state of local and strategic road surfaces across the country. These figures, compiled by the Department for Transport (DfT), reveal changes in road quality, maintenance priorities and longer‑term trends affecting motorists, local authorities and national infrastructure planning.
The annual report covers surface condition, skidding resistance and maintenance treatments across England’s local authority and National Highways‑managed roads. It draws on automated surveys and visual inspections returned by nearly all local authorities in England.
Headline findings for the reporting period ending March 2025 include:
- Local ‘A’ roads: 5 % were classified as needing maintenance (“red”), up from 4 % in 2024.
- ’B’ and ‘C’ roads: Unchanged at 7 % requiring maintenance.
- Unclassified roads: Consistent at 17 % flagged for maintenance.
These figures indicate a modest deterioration on higher‑traffic local ‘A’ routes, while the condition of secondary and unclassified roads remained broadly stable compared to the previous 12 months.
The survey uses a “red‑amber‑green” categorisation system to assess surface condition:
- Red indicates sections that should have been considered for maintenance.
- Amber suggests possible future maintenance.
- Green denotes good condition with no immediate work needed.
Over time, the percentage of green local ‘A’ roads has gradually declined, while amber categories have risen — signalling increasing pressure on maintenance resources and road quality.
Separate sections of the report assess the Strategic Road Network (motorways and major A‑roads), where condition measures also include skidding resistance — a key safety metric. While specific network results vary, the continued monitoring supports wider safety and investment analysis for high‑speed corridors.
The publication highlights local differences in road conditions. Some authorities report relative improvement through targeted maintenance, whereas others show increased sections categorised as red — particularly on local roads that carry significant traffic but receive limited long‑term investment.
While this report focuses on condition rather than usage, provisional data for road traffic shows a 0.9 % rise in total vehicle miles in the year to March 2025 compared to the previous year. Traffic remains slightly below pre‑pandemic levels.
Other sector analyses indicate rising public concern over potholes and local road quality, with breakdown organisations reporting tens of thousands of pothole‑related call‑outs.
The slight worsening of condition on major local ‘A’ roads underscores ongoing maintenance challenges, especially given competing budget pressures across councils and national infrastructure plans. While strategic road safety continues to be monitored independently, local surface quality remains a salient issue for daily travellers and goods movements alike.
The report provides a crucial evidence base for transport planners, government policymakers and industry stakeholders ahead of future investment decisions — including capital allocations and maintenance frameworks for the coming years.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said; “It was hoped that today’s Road Condition report would show that Government money supporting council efforts to reverse the decline in English roads and the backlog of repairs would be having more of an effect.
“Such is the size of the problem and the focus on main roads that driver frustration and anger remains deep. When, to get to a relatively well-maintained main road, you may still have to run the gauntlet of persistent potholes on residential streets and rural roads, progress in combating the pothole plague is less obvious to many drivers.
“Government and councils are making some headway in mending UK roads but there is still a long, long way to go.”
The full Road Conditions report can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2025/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2025
