This Sussex village road has been named the worst for potholes in South East of England

New data by Confused.com found that almost 195,000 potholes were reported by drivers in the South East region in 2023, as Britain’s pothole problem ‘continues to burden drivers’.

"The 56 per cent increase in reports since 2020 has resulted in council’s paying out more than £987,000 as a result,” a spokesperson for Confused.com said.

"The worst roads revealed: Jevington Road in East Sussex and Godstow Road in Oxfordshire are just some of the roads named by councils as having the most number of pothole reports overall.”

In fact, Jevington Road – by Eastbourne – ranked the highest in the South East – by a considerable distance.

Over the past five years, 689 potholes were reported on that notorious road alone. Godstow Road took second place with 391 potholes reported.

The spokesperson for Confused.com added: “Elsewhere, some of the worst regions also include Scotland and the South West of England. But the South East is the worst overall, with almost 200,000 pothole reports from drivers.

“And drivers from all over the UK are seeing similar conditions. That’s as data shows how around one million pothole reports were made last year, with 4.4 million claims made as a result. But compensation payouts are down by 13 per cent overall.

“The most common damages caused by potholes include punctured tyres (57 per cent), damaged suspension (35 per cent) or damaged tracking (32 per cent). And repairs are costing drivers around £169, on average, to fix.”

Amid the news last month that roads in the UK were at ‘breaking point’ due to potholes, Sussex World called for immediate action to improve the worsening situation in West Sussex and beyond.

Many drivers have suffered damage to their cars and action needs to be taken. A report from The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) said councils were expected to fix two million potholes in the current financial year – that is 43 per cent higher than the previous year and confirms repairs are at an eight-year high.

Motor expert, Louise Thomas at Confused.com car insurance, said: “Although the harsh winter months are almost behind us, potholes are still proving problematic for drivers. That’s as pothole reports in the region reached around 195,000 last year. And across the UK, data shows how reports totalled almost one million – a 24 per cent increase compared to 2020.

“There’s no denying that the UK has a pothole problem, and the government has dedicated more funding as a result. But for some drivers this isn’t enough. Especially if they live in high risk areas, where wet and colder weather means problems are more likely to arise.

“If you see a pothole while driving, it’s important to report it to the local council straight away. Even if it didn’t damage your car, you could help to protect other drivers who might come into contact with it at a later date. Potholes can cause damage to vehicles, so the sooner it’s fixed, the safer road users will be.

“If your car is damaged due to a pothole, you should always try to reclaim the cost of damage through the council first. That’s because pothole repairs are their responsibility. When making a claim, make sure to take pictures or videos for evidence and be as detailed as you can.

"You should share information about where the pothole was, the time of day it happened and the damage it caused your car. And if the local council won’t compensate for damages, you could also make a claim through your car insurance. But be wary that this could result in a higher premium the following year, so always try the council first.”