WIRRAL’S roads have ranked in 7th place for being in the best condition, according to new data.

Each local authority is responsible for the upkeep of its public roads, meaning the state of England’s road network varies widely across the country.

Potholes and bad road conditions can be a motorist's worst nightmare as it not only makes journeys longer and unpleasant but can also cause costly damage to vehicles.

In a recent study, car insurance company Comparethemarket has analysed government data to reveal the state of road conditions in local authorities across England, uncovering where is the least and most in need for road improvements. And for drivers in Wirral, the roads are among the ones in the best condition.

According to the data, Wirral ranks in 7th place with 85% of roads across the peninsula being in good condition in 2023.

Ranking in first place for the best road conditions in the country with just 9.5% of the network needing repair is Redcar and Cleveland.

The ranking is based on the number of roads in need of improvement.

Despite Wirral scoring highly in the study, local authorities in the North West are responsible for three out of five of the country's road networks most in need of maintenance.

Cheshire West and Chester ranks third as being the local authority with the highest percentage of roads needing improvement, with 72% of the roads in this area needing work. There are plans for 7.5 kilometres of the network to be improved by April 2023, which is equal to only 0.3% of the road network. 

Bristol was revealed as the area most in need of roadworks, with over three-quarters of roads requiring repairs.

The research discovered that roads within the City of Bristol are most in need of road maintenance work, with 78.5% of the road network currently in need of repairs, and just 21% in good condition. Despite this, current plans show just 4.4 kilometres of road (0.4% of the road network) will receive strengthening, resurfacing, or surface dressing treatment by April 2023.

Julie Daniels from the car insurance team at Comparethemarket said: "It is possible to claim for damage caused by potholes and poor road surfaces through your car insurance, but just be aware that it might affect your no-claims bonus, and could lead to a more expensive premium the following year. You’ll also have to pay an excess – which is the amount of money you’ll have to contribute towards a claim. This amount differs depending on your insurance premium, so it's best to check before making a claim. 

"If you’re attempting to claim from the council, you'll need to take plenty of pictures of both the road and the damage to your car and note exactly where on the road the pothole is in relation to landmarks and get a few quotes from mechanics for how much it will cost to fix.”