Drivers in Scotland rated their roads the worst in the UK, according to a survey published by the AA.
The survey, conducted in January, asked motorists to rate the condition of roads looked after by their local council.
Of those rating their roads poor the highest proportion, 45%, were in Scotland, which also had the second-lowest number of people, 8%, who responded good (8-10).
Motorists were also asked to consider if they expected the condition of the roads in their area to improve, get worse or stay the same in 2013.
More than half of Scottish respondents, 53%, said they expected road conditions to get worse. This compares with 59% in the North East, 57% in the North West and the South West and 55% in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Scotland also had the second lowest number of optimistic respondents, with 6% believing things would get better.
The report by the AA also revealed Scotland was the worst in the UK for potholes, with drivers here reporting the highest amount of damage caused by potholes. A spokesman for the AA said the weather was undoubtedly a factor as the results showed the worst roads are also the coldest and more likely to experience snow.
He said: “Scotland tends to fare badly because of the weather, which can at times be very cold and wet.
“These conditions weaken roads, especially if they are reaching the end of their design life. Potholes are only a symptom of roads in need of serious refurbishment, but it is quicker and cheaper just to fill in potholes.
“We need long-term stable finance to allow both full refurbishment of ageing roads and pothole repairs.
Stephen Hagan, a spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) said: “Councils have been actively addressing the general condition of roads across Scotland, which is showing clear results despite some recent harsh winters as demonstrated by the latest independent roads conditions surveys undertaken for the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (Scots).
“The outputs of the joint Scottish and local government road maintenance review is also driving efficiencies across Scotland which will reinforce this improvement over the next few years.
“This work alongside the last week’s publication of local government benchmarking project, which has four performance indicators relating to road maintenance service delivery, will continue to drive improvement of road conditions in Scotland.
“Councils recognise the importance of road network and continue to invest in the Scottish road network.”