UK potholes are now a "hazard" to UK drivers, with road users at risk of "serious injury" due to the extent of road damage. Nicholas Lyes, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards, explained that motorists were "taking risky actions to avoid hitting potholes" in a possible safety risk.

Striking potholes can damage vehicles, while those riding motorbikes are among the most at risk to the sudden thump. Safety campaigners stressed that the state of UK roads was now becoming "embarrassing" and a "national scandal".

Nicholas said: "The embarrassing state of our local road network is fast becoming a national scandal. Around one in six local roads are effectively on life support with less than five years of structural integrity remaining. What was once deemed an irritant with expensive consequences, poorly maintained local roads now represent a real road safety hazard. Our research suggests drivers are taking risky actions to avoid hitting potholes, while for those on two wheels, they can cause serious injury or worse.

"We need a long-term approach that invests in proper surface maintenance, rather than the all too often 'patch and dash' repairs that crumble at the first sign of bad weather."

The comments come after the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) published its Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey. The report concluded that road users should not expect a quick fix to the condition of local roads with huge sections in need of repair.

According to the report, local authorities in England and Wales now face a record £18.62 billion backlog of carriageway repairs. In a bigger concern, the AIA report claims that just over 100,000 miles, around 49%, of the local road network has less than 15 years of structural life remaining.

1.9 million potholes were filled over the last year, around 5,200 per day. However, this was still not enough to get roads back to a good condition due to the extent of the backlog. David Giles, Chair of the AIA said: "I think all road users would agree that the condition of our local roads has become a national disgrace.

"Tracking ALARM data over the last decade shows the amount needed to bring local roads up to scratch has increased dramatically, and the impact of frequent adverse weather events on a consistently underfunded - and increasingly fragile - network are coming home to roost."