The number of potholes in Belfast roads jumped 72% from 2021 to 2022, according to new analysis.
But the city council area is not the worst in NI for the potentially dangerous defects, with over 10,925 potholes reported in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon district council area in 2022.
Recent government data analysed by CompareNI.com found 80,395 surface defects were recorded on NI’s roads last year - 64,930 of which related to potholes.
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And the situation appears to be getting worse in some areas.
The second most potholes were in Newry, Mourne and Down, where despite a 13% drop from 2021, 10,217 were still recorded last year.
Belfast was in fourth place with 9,321 - a jump from 5,425 the year before - followed by Derry and Strabane where 7,076 were reported even with a 23% drop.
Only Belfast, Antrim & Newtownabbey and Armagh, Craigavon & Banbridge saw an increase in potholes with the remainder of council areas reporting a fall in numbers.
Lisburn & Castlereagh had the least (2,297) following a 36% drop while Causeway Coast and Glens saw the greatest improvement with a 37% decrease from 5,558 in 2021 to 3,476 in 2022.
Ian Wilson, Managing Director of Northern Ireland price comparison website CompareNI.com, said: “Unfortunately potholes on NI roads are an ongoing problem and the lack of urgency around repairing them can be frustrating for many drivers.
“Not only are these potholes a nuisance, they can increase the risk of accidents and serious damage to vehicles.
“With worsening weather in the coming months and the likelihood that government spending on road maintenance will decrease due to the strain of the cost-of-living crisis, we could see a significant increase in pothole affected areas.
“This will make our roads more dangerous for all road users.
“With National Pothole Day on 15th January, we would encourage the government and local councils to recognise and address the pothole problem here in Northern Ireland.
“Pothole related damage is becoming more serious and more costly, meaning drivers are losing their no claims bonus to claim for repairs – which can increase insurance premiums for years to come.”
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “There has been historical under-investment in the maintenance of our road network for a significant number of years and as a result many roads are in need of repairs.
“The Department continues to work hard to ensure that available funding is targeted at areas of greatest need.
“Staff regularly inspect the local network for actionable defects in accordance with the Road Maintenance Guidelines. These guidelines classify the local roads according to traffic volume and establish corresponding deadlines for the repair of any defects identified.
“Road defects should be reported online at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/report-pothole-or-other-surface-defect.”
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So where's the worst road in Northern Ireland for potholes? Or have you spotted a huge pothole that never seems to be repaired? Let us know in the comments below or send us a picture.
