As pothole damage reports climb to a five-year high, breakdown organisation the AA has marked National Pothole Day by joining forces with earthmovers JCB and four interest groups to spearhead a campaign to sort the headache out.

Alongside the AA and the plant manufacturer, the National Motorcyclists Council, British Cycling, IAM RoadSmart and the British Motorcyclists Federation have thrown their weight behind the campaign by forming the Pothole Partnership.

A current policy of repair literally isn't going deep enough, said the AA, which has formulated a five-point plan of action. This includes limiting local authorities on temporary patching, UK-wide repair standards, front-loading of promised government budget, ringfencing of budgets and full transparency from local authorites on backlogs.

The action is timely: despite a pledge from the government to spend £8.3bn on the issue, fresh figures from the AA show pothole damage to vehicles has hit a five-year high. The AA dealt with 631,852 pothole related incidents in 2023, making that the highest innings for five years.

Edmund King, AA President, said drivers had shelled out almost half a billion pounds.

He said: "Currently, we often have a vicious circle of: pothole formed; damage caused; pothole patched; pothole reappears with more damage caused - when what we need are more permanent repairs. Potholes are the number one concern for 96% of drivers and can be fatal for those on two wheels, so hopefully pressure from the Pothole Partnership will lead to permanent repairs."

In all, the AA dealt with 631,852 pothole-related incidents across 2023, citing tyre, wheel, steering, and suspension damage from poor road surfaces. That marked an increase of 16% on the previous year's 543,000 callouts. In December alone, the AA attended 62,000 stricken members.

The UK bill for the issue in 2023 came to £474m and the partnership said it has a distinct plan to cut the figure down.

Craig Carey-Clinch, executive director, National Motorcyclists Council, said: "Potholes and other road surface-related defects are already shown to be extremely dangerous for motorcycle riders. The same pothole that damages a car, could prove fatal to a rider."

He urged the Government to front load the £8.3billion that has been promised as part of diverted funding from HS2: "The problem is now, not in seven or nine years' time."

Caroline Julian, external affairs director, British Cycling, added: "[Potholes] have tragic and fatal consequences that cannot be ignored. If we're serious about fulfilling our ambitions to get more people cycling, we simply must ensure that our roads are safe and comfortable for them to ride on, and not the crater-filled carriageways they currently face."

Ben Rawding, general manager, JCB, said: "As we mark National Pothole Day, JCB is delighted to be part of the Pothole Partnership, a group committed to fixing Britain's roads. Tackling the national backlog of potholes properly will involve investment in innovation and new technologies to ensure permanent fixes, not temporary repairs. Britain's motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists deserve nothing less."

● JCB has developed the Pothole Pro, as pictured here, as a specialised three-in-one tool "to sort out any pothole repair or large reinstatement operation, efficiently, economically, and permanently". The machine can cut, crop and clean, thereby removing any traditonal need for additional specialist equipment or extra manpower. Repair time is said to be eight minutes for "a permanent fix" and the machine is reported to cost around £165,000 a pop – or £600 a month to hire.