Nearly half of councils in England say the condition of major roads in their area has got worse in the past few years, data shows.
Local authorities are required to carry out regular surveys of road surfaces under their management and categorise them as red, amber or green, with red meaning the roads are “poor” and should have been considered for maintenance.
Some 45% of councils reported an increase between 2024 and 2026 in the proportion of A road classed as red, according to findings published by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The figures refer to the amount of road length in each local authority area, not the number of roads.
A total of 147 authorities reported data on the condition of A road for both the years ending March 2024 and March 2026.
Of the 147, 66 (45%) saw a rise across this period in the proportion of A road categorised as red, while 53 (36%) saw no change and 28 (19%) saw a drop.
Brighton & Hove recorded the highest figure for the year to March 2026, with 17% of A road managed by the local authority classed as red.
Nottingham reported the second highest proportion, at 15%, followed by Brent in London (14%) and Salford and North Tyneside (both 13%).
Not all councils use the same type of equipment for carrying out surveys of road conditions, the DfT said.
This means the method for categorising a road surface as red, or poor, may vary between areas.
The data for A roads includes stretches of motorway managed by local authorities.
Across England as a whole, 4% of local A road was categorised as red in 2026, unchanged from both 2024 and 2025.
This figure stood at 5% between 2008 and 2013, then dropped to a low of 3% in 2016, where it remained until climbing to 4% in 2023.
Some 28% of local A road in 2026 was classed as amber, meaning maintenance may be required soon, up slightly from 27% in 2024 and 2025.
The remaining 68% was classed as green, meaning no further work is needed, down from 70% in 2024 and 69% in 2025.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This data confirms what so many road users will have observed on a daily basis for years – that far too many roads are in a poor condition, leading to uncomfortable journeys and costly repair bills.
“But there is reason for drivers to be a little more optimistic than they might have been in the past.
“Greater central Government funding, and scrutiny of how it’s being spent, means there’s more pressure on councils to get on top of maintaining their roads than ever before, including carrying out more vital work to prevent potholes appearing in the first place.”
The DfT data also covers B and C roads, as well as those that are unclassified.
The proportion of local authority-managed B and C road in England in 2026 that were classed as red, or poor, was 6%.
This represents a return to the level seen since 2016, following a brief rise to 7% in 2025.
Meanwhile, 16% of locally-managed unclassified road was classed as red in the latest figures, though this data is collected by councils over a four-year period because of the size and variation of the road network.
Historically, this percentage has always been higher than the equivalent figures for A, B and C roads, and has remained between 15% and 18% since current reporting started in 2008.
Luke Bosdet of the AA’s motoring policy unit said: “Today’s road condition report once again reveals two different Englands: one with major and main roads in reasonably good condition and another with minor and rural roads often pitted with holes and defects.
“Many of these defects don’t quite meet a council’s criteria for repair but still pose a threat, or are bad enough to meet repair requirements but are back-logged on a long list.
“What is happening on rural roads partly mirrors what is happening in residential streets but is ramped up to a higher threat level: potholes and other defects are harder to spot, more severe and take even longer to be repaired.”
Unclassified roads account for around 62% of all local authority-managed roads in England, the DfT said.
B and C roads make up around 29%, while A roads and motorways account for about 10%.