A motorcyclist has spoken out about the devastating consequences of a crash caused by poorly maintained road surfaces, as campaigners mark National Pothole Day.
The rider was travelling along the A5 with a group of fellow bikers, heading to the Ponderosa café for an early morning meal, when disaster struck.
Speaking to GB News, Simon, a resident of Staffordshire, said: “I was just heading out for an early breakfast at the Ponderosa, going down the A5.
“There was a group of us, and I ended up hitting a few potholes in a row, which buckled the front wheel and caused me to come off. It’s life-changing, to be honest.
“I can’t do anything I would normally do. I’ve been told I may never ride again.
“It’s not just affecting me, it’s affecting my daughter’s life too, because I can’t do the things I normally would.
“It’s changed everything, and all because of a pothole and a poorly repaired one at that.
“In a car, it’s not too bad, you might just damage your wheel, worst case scenario but on two wheels, it’s a completely different story. It can have life-changing consequences, as it did for me.”
Simon said that the pothole accident changed his life
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Discussing the campaign on National Pothole Day, the resident said: “I would like to think that, at the very least, all of this will push them to start fixing potholes properly, and not just covering them up.
“That’s the main problem: these potholes get patched, but the repair doesn’t last. They’re not actually fixed properly, and that’s the issue.”
The Pothole Partnership, a coalition comprising the AA, JCB, British Cycling and the National Motorcyclists Council, is demanding the Government introduce a five-year warranty on non-emergency pothole repairs.
The group argues that current “patch and run” approaches to road maintenance are failing motorists across the nation.
LATEST ON THE POTHOLES IN BRITAIN:
Todays is National Pothole Day
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AA president Edmund King said: “Potholes are more than an irritation, they cause damage, disruption and danger on a daily basis.”
He described the proposed warranty scheme as “a game-changer”, adding: “Drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists deserve roads that stay fixed.”
It comes as new research shows 613,638 pothole‑related callouts in 2025, with a staggering average of 1,681 every day.
While the AA research shows a slight year-on-year improvement, it warned that the issue remained serious, with 58,275 callouts in December 2025.
Motorists are being hammered by the costs associated with driving over a pothole, with average repair costs soaring to £350, and a total of around £215million per year for AA members.
When scaled up to all UK drivers, pothole incidents make up £645million, a concerning £66million increase compared to estimates from 2024.
In 2024 alone, damage caused by potholes is estimated to have hit motorists to the tune of £1.7billion, with the average repair bill around £144.
More than one million drivers faced repair costs of over £300.
Since 2018, drivers have spent a staggering £9.5billion fixing vehicles damaged by potholes.
Tyres, wheels and suspension take the brunt of the impact when hitting a deep pothole, leaving many with expensive bills.
