An expert has compared Britain's roads to those found in the Gobi Desert and Mongolia, in a damning indictment of what drivers deal with every day.
New data from the Cebr and FairFuelUK has found that the pothole crisis across England is costing £14.7billion in economic damage every year.
Further research suggests that it would cost an estimated £16.3billion to completely rebuild all roads across England to get rid of potholes.
Estimates suggest that pothole-strewn roads across the country contribute to an extra 1.3 billion hours in travelling time, although this does not include time lost from added congestion and delayed freight.
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An expert has claimed potholes bring down the standard of English roads to those found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia
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The cost of repairing vehicle damage from potholes has also increased dramatically in recent years, with it costing almost £1.5billion in 2024 alone.
Douglas McWilliams, founder of Cebr, explained that drivers in the UK were being forced to deal with poor-quality roads, which are on par with some of the worst in the world.
He said: "Having personally completed the 'Peking to Paris' car rally, my take is that our UK roads are now considerably more pothole infested than anywhere in the world, apart from the dirt tracks in the far West of China and Mongolia where we had to drive across the Gobi desert.
"We must rebuild our roads for the sake of our economy and road safety."
Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a nearly 50 per cent increase in funding for local roads maintenance during the Autumn Statement last October.
It is hoped the funding will go further than the Government's commitment to fixing an additional one million potholes across England each year.
This is backed by almost £1.6billion to maintain and renew the nation's roads and represents an increase of £500million compared to 2024-25.
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, called on the Government to act urgently to save money and protect motorists from poor-quality roads.
He said: "Unless Labour wakes up to the fact that upgrading all our crater-infested roads entirely, to prevent potholes reappearing again and again, road user safety will be at risk.
"Relying on short-term 'rush bodge it and scarper' reparations is politically blinkered and risks inhibiting economic growth."
He said that England needed to rebuild roads with an estimated longevity of 30 years, rather than using the current "short-term" strategy of filling potholes.
Cox highlighted how roads which are properly resurfaced can boost the economy, create jobs and prevent further road casualties, which has been a key aim for the Government.
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Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has pledged to fill in more potholes across England
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He added: "It's a no-brainer and will be the cheapest option in the long term."
Throughout the pre-election campaign, Labour referenced how there are more potholes across England than there are craters on the moon, highlighting the urgency of fixing roads.
