The UK Is Braced for a Winter With Even More PotholesGuessing HeadlightsHenry KelsallThu, September 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleImage Credit: By A large pothole, Knockgreenan Drive, Omagh by Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia CommonsIf you have driven around the UK in the past 3-4 years, you have probably seen the complaints about potholes. You may have also experienced them, as potholes seem to have become a part of British life over the past few years.The roads in the country have looked particularly bad in recent times, although councils do finally seem to be fixing the worst of them. Yet reports are now suggesting that the winter could see the situation get worse, thanks to the incredibly hot summer.Yorkshire Live has reported on how the record-high temperatures of summer 2026 will lead to more potholes as the winter months arrive. With so many parts of the UK having dealt with record temperatures in the heatwaves, the roads have taken a battering, and the tarmac has already suffered in many areas.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis, however, looks like it is going to get worse. It is all down to how the UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in the asphalt. It gets harder and less flexible, and eventually it leads to cracking. Eventually, the cracks will get worse and worse, and potholes will begin to form again.Britain's Fragile Roads Are Going To Get WorseImage Credit: Unsplash/Ian TaylorRAC head of policy Simon Williams discussed this situation with Yorkshire Live. "As UV and heat oxidise the bitumen binder in asphalt, it becomes harder and less flexible, which leads to cracking," he said. "Then water penetrates cracks, and as vehicles drive over them, the surface breaks and potholes start to appear. This is the last thing our already fragile roads needed," he added.Potholes have been a worry for UK drivers for some time. It seemed to get worse and worse from around 2022 onwards, and Facebook groups, forums and various other outlets have been full of complaints about the state of Britain's roads. Not only are they uncomfortable and annoying, but if they get really bad and sizable, they can cause untold damage to our cars and vehicles.Image Credit: A lane with large potholes, Kilcroagh by Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0/Wikimedia CommonsPotholes can do a lot of damage if they are big enough. They can damage tires, perhaps puncturing them or ripping them off the wheel. It could lead to suspension damage, which in the worst situations could even rip it off and cause an accident. With how high gasoline prices are in the UK at this moment in time, the last thing road users want to be dealing with is more expenses regarding their cars.American Roads Have Suffered Pothole Damage TooIt isn't just the UK that has suffered when it comes to potholes. In America, cities like New York and Los Angeles have all seen a huge number of complaints due to potholes. Los Angeles in particular has suffered, but the city has found an interesting way to help identify potholes and rectify them. They have been using AI and robotaxis in order to find where the potholes are. This is thanks to a combined program from Waymo and Waze, with self-driving vehicles collecting data on the city's roads.AdvertisementAdvertisementAs it identifies potholes, it collects data and marks out where they are and how bad they are. The data is then shared with city officials so they can get to work on remedying that particular section of road. That data goes straight to city officials who use Waze, and it is then sent on to those who head out and fix the potholes. As of January 2026, there were 6,700 potholes reported in Los Angeles, and many more that likely had been missed or not reported.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
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