Not every road problem is a pothole. Cracked and rutted tarmac, sunken patches, crumbling edges, broken kerbs and loose manhole covers all make streets dangerous — and all get fixed faster when they're reported with evidence. This guide covers how to report road damage and broken streets so repairs actually get scheduled, who is responsible for road repairs, and how to track the work.

What counts as road damage?

If you're looking at a single hole, that's a pothole. Everything broader is road damage: networks of cracks, a sunken or rutted patch where the surface has dropped, edges that are crumbling into the verge, a broken or sunken kerb, or a manhole cover that's missing, loose or rattling. A "broken street" — a stretch that's degraded rather than holed — belongs here too. When in doubt, report it; OpenStreetProblem's AI will classify the severity from your photo.

1. Photograph the full extent

Road damage is about area, not a single point, so take one shot that captures the whole damaged stretch and a closer shot of the worst part. For a missing manhole cover, photograph from a safe distance — never stand in moving traffic — and treat it as critical. Good photos let the AI and the repair crew judge whether this needs a patch, a section repair, or full resurfacing.

2. Pin it and describe the extent

Drop the pin at the centre of the damage and describe how far it runs in the notes: "cracking across both lanes for about 20 metres from the junction." Crews scope and cost repairs from that detail, so the more precise you are, the easier it is for them to plan — and the harder it is to defer.

3. Who is responsible for road repairs?

As with potholes, it depends on the road. Local and residential streets are usually the council's responsibility; major roads, dual carriageways and motorways belong to a national or regional highways authority. You don't have to identify the right body yourself — report the location on OpenStreetProblem and the public record is visible to whoever maintains that road, plus the contractors who bid on the work.

4. Severity drives the queue — so document it honestly

Authorities triage road repairs by risk. Damage on a school route, a busy junction, or a cycle lane is more urgent than the same crack on a quiet cul-de-sac. If the damage has already caused a near-miss or vehicle damage, say so. Honest, specific severity information is what moves your report up the list rather than into the "monitor it" pile.

5. Build the case with community verification

One report is a complaint; a cluster of verified reports is a maintenance priority. When neighbours upvote and add photos, a degraded street becomes a documented, public problem that's far harder to keep deferring. Here's why single complaints get ignored — and how public tracking changes the outcome.

6. Track the repair to completion

From the moment your report goes live you can follow it: open → acknowledged → in progress → resolved. You'll know when the crew is scheduled and when the work is done, with a permanent public record if a "fixed" street starts failing again.

Road damage often comes with company

Surface damage frequently starts with water. If there's a blocked drain feeding the damage, report that too so the cause gets fixed along with the effect. And if part of the stretch has collapsed into a discrete hole, add a pothole report for it.

Ready to report road damage?

Broken streets don't get repaired because someone mentioned them once — they get repaired when the damage is documented, verified, and impossible to ignore. See road issues reported near you or report road damage in 60 seconds.