Almost half (46%) of business drivers surveyed have had their company vehicle off the road in the past year due to pothole or other road damage, new data has shown.

More than half (55%) of respondents said poor road quality is a regular barrier to them driving effectively for business – but a higher percentage (69%) said congestion is the biggest issue.

The data shows that the South West of England was the worst for drivers needing repairs after pothole or other road damage, with 58% affected. The East Midlands and East of England also both exceeded 50%.

Kelly Jeffery, business operations manager at Alphabet (GB), says:

“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 underinvestment 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.”