Region’s pothole stats revealed

DUMFRIES and Galloway has been ranked the fifth worst area in the UK for potholes, based on the total number of reported road defects.

According to new data obtained by Confused.com through Freedom of Information requests, 134,054 potholes were reported in the region between 2022 and 2025.

Of the potholes reported, 112,018 were fixed, while 2862 compensations claims were made and 44 per cent of those were accepted.

Meanwhile, Confused.com has launched a pothole reporting tool to help motorists take action faster.

While hundreds of thousands of drivers report potholes each year, the amount of successful compensation claims is falling sharply.

In Dumfries and Galloway claims stood at 543 in 2022, 936 in 2023, 826 in 2024, and 557 in 2025.

The percentage of those accepted was 50 per cent, 55 per cent, 49 per cent and 15 per cent.

Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com car insurance, said: “Potholes continue to be a major concern for drivers across the UK, particularly after periods of harsh weather that can accelerate damage to road surfaces.

“Many motorists are still experiencing disruption caused by deteriorating road conditions, which can lead to vehicle damage and unexpected repair costs.

“While local authorities are responsible for maintaining roads, funding and resource pressures mean repairs can sometimes take time.

“If your car is damaged by a pothole, you should gather evidence and first check whether you can make a claim through the relevant local council. If that is unsuccessful, you may need to explore your insurance options, although it is worth considering the potential impact on future premiums, as well as your excess costs.”

In reply, a Dumfries and Galloway council spokesman said: “Keeping our roads safe for residents, businesses and visitors is extremely important to us. We use the nationally-recommended SCOTS Risk Based Approach to carry out inspections and prioritise repairs. This ensures that any defects on the road network are assessed fairly and consistently based on the level of risk they pose.

“All public roads in Dumfries and Galloway are inspected on a routine schedule, ranging from monthly to annual checks depending on the type of road and how busy it is. On top of these planned inspections, any road defect reported by a member of the public is inspected within 20 working days

“Under the council’s assessment process, each defect is reviewed using several factors, such as the likelihood of an incident happening, the severity of potential consequences, traffic speed and volume, visibility and the location of the defect – particularly near schools, hospitals, town centres and other places where vulnerable road users are present.

“Defects are then given a priority category, with the most urgent issues dealt with first. Lower-risk problems are scheduled into planned maintenance programmes or, where appropriate, marked as requiring no action.

“This risk-based system allows us to focus our resources where they will have the greatest impact on safety. Our weekly maintenance programmes include both fixed and flexible elements so we can respond quickly to new issues, while still planning larger works around seasonal access and local events.”

The pothole tool can be accessed HERE