Motoring experts Blackcircles submitted an FOI (Freedom of Information request) to local authorities all over the country to discover which roads were most affected by potholes.
They also asked 2,000 drivers to understand the impact of poor road conditions on vehicles.
Sutton has been ranked as one of the UK’s top areas for road quality, with just 74 potholes per 100 kilometres of road in 2024.
A total of 345 potholes were reported in the borough last year, which was a 20 per cent decrease compared with 2020.
Experts say the drop reflects improvements in road maintenance across the area.
Sutton ranked in at number two, with Portsmouth at number one, and was the first London area to be listed.
This means, as well as having the best roads in the UK, it has the best roads in London.
The RAC responded to 9,439 pothole-related breakdowns across the UK in the first three months of 2025, more than double the number reported between October and December last year.
In a statement on the Sutton Council website, they say Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for maintaining red routes, and the council itself “can’t take any action to repair problems on these roads”.
Red routes have single red or double red lines and are normally A roads.
that they aim to resolve reported issues within 10 working days.
Residents can report issues on the Sutton Council website.
These reports can be related to potholes, sunken roads, road damage, illegal obstructions, and vegetation.
James Harding, motoring expert at Blackcircles, said: “Sutton’s roads are performing well compared with many parts of the country.
“It’s encouraging to see the number of potholes decrease, but our research shows that potholes remain a widespread issue across the UK.”
“The full survey also found that 28 per cent of drivers feel potholes in their area are rarely or never fixed, and councils pay an average of £261 per claim for pothole-related vehicle damage—though only a small percentage of claims are successfully settled.”
