Are you tired of dodging potholes while on the road? You’re not alone. In collaboration with Third Gen Services, we have created a report revealing which areas in England have the best and worst road conditions and the results might surprise you.
The Worst Offenders
Derbyshire tops the list as the area with the worst road conditions in England. With a staggering 180 amber and red road surface condition ratings across the area, drivers in Derbyshire are facing more challenging road surfaces than anywhere else in the country.
West Northamptonshire follows closely behind with 168 amber/red ratings, while North Northamptonshire rounds out the top three worst areas with 166 amber/red ratings.
The city of Bristol also makes the top five with 165 problematic road surface ratings, suggesting urban areas aren’t immune to road maintenance issues.
Where to Find the Smoothest Rides
On the brighter side, Sunderland emerged as the area with the best road conditions in England, boasting 176 green road surface condition ratings. The North East features prominently in the top rankings, with Middlesbrough and Gateshead taking second and third places respectively.
Sheffield stands out as the highest-ranked large city with 171 green ratings, showing that not all urban areas suffer from poor road maintenance.
Top 10 areas with the worst road conditions (all road types)
Top 10 areas with the best road conditions (all road types)
Methodology:
We analysed data from GOV.UK around road conditions, looking at road ratings listed red, amber and green for all local authorities in England during 2024. We added the amber and red total together to find the areas with the worst road conditions and just rank the original green ratings for the best road conditions.