map shows best and worst councils for fixing potholes - how does your area do?

Potholes cause irritation and car damage to numerous drivers (Picture: Shutterstock / David Michael Bel)

Drivers fuming at unfilled potholes can now see how their local councils are doing at addressing the bumpy roads.

The Government has released a red,amber and green traffic light system revealing which local highway authorities (LHA) are lagging behind the rest of the country.

The colours grade each area on the current condition of their roads and how effectively they are spending road maintenance funding.

While a majority of councils were ranked amber,significant swathes of the UK were flagged as red,indicating significant concerns.

‘Red’ councils were assessed as below expected standards in one or several areas and will receive £300,000 worth of planning and capability assistance.

The Department for Transport said ‘green’ councils – such as Leeds,Mancheser and Lewisham – were following best practices by investing in long-term preventive measures and not just pathing up potholes.

‘Amber’ ranked LHAs showed some of these qualities,but with room for improvement in individual areas.

In last year’s budget,the government committed a total of £7.3billion for local road maintenance funding for four years.

The government had already pledged an extra £500 million in the current financial year,but withheld a quarter of it until councils had outlined their spending plans.

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The RAC estimates a typical repair bill for a family car which has suffered pothole damage beyond a puncture is £590.

These pothole-caused faults can include damaged shock absorbers,broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

Heidi Alexander said drivers had dealt with potholes for ‘far too long’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said drivers had paid the price for poor road maintenance for ‘far too long’.

She added: ‘We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.

‘Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely,and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.’

Tory transport spokesman Richard Holden MP said: ‘It is refreshing to have Labour ministers laying bare just how badly Labour-run councils handle basic road repairs.

‘If you live in Bolton,Waltham Forest,Greenwich or any other Labour council up for election,this map is a warning label.’