Business drivers are taking a literal and financial hit from potholes, with the poor condition of UK roads sometimes preventing them from travelling for work.
A survey of company car drivers and business users, undertaken by fleet and leasing operator Alphabet, found that close to half (46 percent) had taken their company vehicle off the road due to pothole damage during the past year.
Those driving in delivery services and logistics were the most likely to be affected by potholes and damaged roads; 54 percent and 46 percent respectively said they had been impacted.Â
More than half (55 percent) of the drivers surveyed said that poor road quality was becoming a legitimate barrier to effective driving for business.
Potholes are a barrier to business
The south-west of England was cited as the worst region for potholes, with 58 percent of drivers saying they had suffered damage to their company vehicles. Only a third (33 percent) of those in Northern Ireland said the same.
Overall trends from Alphabet’s survey also showed that drivers believe the situation with potholes on UK roads is getting worse.
Some 40 percent feel their ability to drive effectively for business has got ‘slightly worse’ or ‘significantly worse’ in the past decade. That compares to 37 percent who feel it is ‘slightly better’ or ‘significantly better’.
Potholes and damaged roads are not the biggest problem for business drivers today, however. Instead, congestion was noted as being the greatest barrier to making progress, followed by potholes and roadworks.
Time for ‘urgent action’ on potholes
Kelly Jeffery, business operations manager at Alphabet (GB), commented: “Almost half of business drivers needing to repair a car or van because of pothole or road damage in the last year is deeply concerning. Damage caused by poor road conditions reduces operational uptime, leading to lost revenue, missed commercial opportunities and additional strain on employees.
“Our findings demonstrate that under-investment in the UK’s road network is restricting people’s ability to drive effectively for business. We call upon the government to take urgent action to improve the road network so businesses can operate more reliably.”
Alphabet supplied more than 57,000 new company cars and commercial vehicles to businesses in 2025, and manages a portfolio of almost 160,000 leased vehicles on UK roads.
The findings from the company’s survey will be published later this year in a white paper called Business Drivers in Crisis: The Impact of Potholes, Stress and Tech on UK Company Car and CV Users.
ALSO READ:
Citroen wants councils to use AI to solve pothole plague
Councils must prove to public how well they are fixing potholes
