BRITAIN'S roads have been cited as the worst in Europe following a recent survey.

It reports many drivers as saying they were now afraid to use them and which has revealed that the nation's motorists and their insurance companies are paying out millions of pounds every year to repair damage caused by poor maintenance, traffic calming, potholes and sleeping policemen.

It's a situation that has become a national scandal, according to Autolink, who commissioned the survey.

In it, four out of every 10 motorists claimed that poor roads have caused damage to their vehicles at some time. The average repair cost was £800 but some six per cent of motorists questioned said they and their insurance companies had paid out in excess of £4,000 and in every single case had been unable to claim back those costs from any highway authority.

What was particularly galling for motorists was the fact that they were paying record taxes on fuel as well as vehicle excise to drive on roads that were so poor.

There was also a fear factor with 42 per cent of the sample survey saying that they were now very or slightly concerned about using the nation's highways.

Neil D' Silva, marketing manager for Autolink, said: "Our roads have become a national disgrace, a public scandal. We have been shocked by the response.

“We knew the roads were poor and deteriorating by the day but the fact that cars are being damaged to such a high extent would suggest that we are facing potential safety problems which need to be tackled and quickly."

Of the 40 per cent of motorists who reported damage, 75 per cent said potholes had caused it; 34 per cent by raised manhole covers; 46 per cent by sleeping policeman; 29 per cent by road calming posts and 68 per cent by poor road repairs.