04 October 2026
What is the state of New Zealand's roads?
Insights from AA Members on road maintenance, from the AA State of Local Transport Survey 2026
Road condition has consistently been one of the issues AA Members are most concerned about. In recent years, there has been increased investment in road maintenance and renewals across New Zealand, following ongoing discussion about the state of the road network and maintenance funding.
In May 2026, we asked over 8,000 Members about whether they have noticed any change. Specifically, we look at the impact poor road condition is having on Members' safety, whether they think road maintenance in their local area has improved or worsened over the past 12 months, and how satisfied they are with local road condition compared with 2025.
The results in this report are based on responses from 8,336 Members randomly invited to participate, including members of the AA Member Voices Panel. A total of 163,748 Members were invited to take part, resulting in a 5.1% response rate. The maximum margin of error at the 95% confidence level is approximately ±1.1%.
This is part of a series of reports on the state of New Zealand’s local transport.
Key findings
AA Members’ views on the state of roads
Most AA Members have felt the effects of bad roads first-hand in the past year
- More than half of Members (55%) have had at least one incident that put their safety at risk due to poorly maintained roads in the past 12 months.
- Over a third (35%) have had to brake suddenly or swerve to avoid a hazard, and a quarter (25%) have had their vehicle damaged.
- Almost a quarter (23%) have had a near miss with another road user because of poor road condition.
A third of AA Members think maintenance has gone backwards over the past year
Most Members haven't noticed much change either way, but where they have, it's mostly for the worse.
- A third of Members (33%) say road maintenance in their area has got worse in the past year, against just 15% who say it's improved.
- Around half (49%) haven't noticed a real change either way.
- Rural Members are more likely to say things have got worse (39%) than Members overall, and Northland and South Canterbury top the list nationally, both at 43%.
Satisfaction with road condition is up since 2025, but more AA Members are still dissatisfied than satisfied
Satisfaction with the condition of roads in their local area (e.g. potholes) has improved since 2025, but it's still outnumbered by those who are dissatisfied.
- Around a third of Members (34%) are satisfied with local road condition, up from about a quarter (26%) in 2025. Even so, more Members remain dissatisfied (42%) than satisfied.
- Dissatisfaction has come down in every district. Northland saw one of the smallest changes of any district, where dissatisfaction moved only slightly – from 76% in 2025 to 68% in 2026.
- Satisfaction ranges widely by district, from around 40% in Otago, Auckland and Wellington, down to just 15% in Northland.
Rural AA Members have significantly worse roads
Rural Members are less satisfied with local road condition, more likely to say maintenance has got worse, and more likely to have been affected by poor road condition than Members elsewhere.
- Rural Members are far less satisfied with road condition (23%) than Members overall (34%). The gap is even wider against urban areas, where 37% are satisfied and just 38% dissatisfied, compared to 56% dissatisfaction of those living rurally.
- More than 4 in 10 rural Members (42%) have had their vehicle damaged by poor roads, compared with a quarter of Members nationally.
- Rural Members are also more likely to think maintenance has got worse (39%) than the national average (33%).
Northland is facing the worst road conditions in the country
Northland has the lowest satisfaction, the highest dissatisfaction, and the highest rate of safety impacts of any district.
- Northland has the lowest satisfaction of any district (15%) and the highest dissatisfaction (68%), only a touch down from 76% in 2025.
- Roughly 3 in 4 Northland Members (76%) have experienced a road safety issue because of poor maintenance, well above the national rate of 55%.
- Northland and South Canterbury are tied as the districts most likely to say maintenance has got worse, both at 43%.
Smoother roads and fewer potholes is the single thing AA Members most want fixed
When asked what needs improving most in their area, more Members picked road surface condition than anything else on the list.
- Nearly half of Members (48%) named smoother roads and fewer potholes as a top priority for improvement – more than any other transport issue, including safer roads and driver behaviour (43%) or traffic congestion (39%).
- In Northland, that rises to more than 7 in 10 Members (72%).
How satisfied are AA Members with the condition of their local roads?
More AA Members are satisfied with road condition than in 2025, but more AA Members are dissatisfied than satisfied
Around one-third of Members (34%) were satisfied with the condition of roads in their local area in 2026, up from 26% in 2025. Dissatisfaction fell from 54% to 42% over the same period.
Despite this improvement, there were still more dissatisfied Members (42%) than satisfied Members (34%).
The level of satisfaction varies greatly around the country:
- Otago Members were the most satisfied with road condition (41%), and Auckland (38%) and Wellington (37%) were also above the national average.
- Northland had the lowest satisfaction (15%), followed by Taranaki at 22% satisfaction.
Satisfaction also varies by the type of area Members live in:
- Rural Members were significantly less satisfied with road condition (23%) than the national average (34%), and significantly more dissatisfied (56%, compared with 42% nationally).
- Members in central city and suburban areas were significantly more satisfied than average, at around 40% and 37% respectively.
Dissatisfaction with road condition has fallen in every district since 2025, although Northland remains quite dissatisfied
Nationally, dissatisfaction with road condition has dropped from just over half of Members (54%) to under half (42%). This trend was seen across all districts.
- Northland's decrease in dissatisfaction from 2025 to 2026 was one of the smallest of any district in percentage-points: 68% of Northland Members were dissatisfied with road condition in 2026, down from 76% in 2025. It remains the most dissatisfied of any district by a wide margin, with the next most dissatisfied district being Taranaki at 59% dissatisfied in 2026.
- Otago Members were the least dissatisfied with road condition. 42% of Otago Members were dissatisfied in 2025, which dropped to 35% dissatisfied in 2026.
How is the condition of roads impacting AA Members' safety?
More than half of AA Members have experienced a road safety problem in the past year because of poor road condition
Over half of Members (55%) said they had experienced at least one road safety issue in the past 12 months due to poorly maintained roads, such as needing to swerve or take evasive action, vehicle damage or nearly colliding with another road user.
The most common was having to brake suddenly or take evasive action to avoid a hazard (35%), followed by vehicle damage (25%) and a near miss with another road user (23%).
Rural AA Members were much more likely to experience a road safety incident due to poor road maintenance
Members in more rural areas were more likely to have had at least one incident where poor road maintenance had led to a situation that put their safety at risk.
- Northland and Taranaki had the highest rates of road safety impact in the country, at 76% and 69% respectively, compared with 55% nationally.
- 71% of Members living rurally in the North Island had at least one road safety scare due to poor road maintenance in the past 12 months, compared to 52% of those living in urban areas in the North Island.
- In the South Island, 62% of those living rurally had experienced a road safety incident, compared to 50% of those living in urban areas.
More than 1 in 5 AA Members reported that poor quality road maintenance had resulted in vehicle damage, a near miss with another road user, or needing to brake suddenly
The most common road safety scares due to poor road condition were having to brake suddenly or take evasive action to avoid a hazard (35%), followed by vehicle damage (25%) and a near miss with another road user (23%).
- Vehicle damage was much more common among rural Members (42%) than nationally (25%).
- Rural Members also reported more sudden braking/evasive manoeuvres (42% vs 33% suburban), near misses (27% vs 22%), and loss of control (10% vs 5%).
- Northland recorded particularly high vehicle damage (52%) and sudden braking (52%), compared with the average of 25% and 35% respectively.
- Taranaki also had elevated sudden braking (47%) and vehicle damage (36%).
- Sudden braking or evasive manoeuvres affected 42% of Members aged 18–34, compared with 24% of those aged 75+.
Has road maintenance improved or got worse?
A third of AA Members think road maintenance in their area has got worse over the past year
A third (33%) of Members said road maintenance had got worse in their local area over the past 12 months. Around half (49%) said it had stayed about the same, and 15% said it had improved.
- Northland and South Canterbury were tied as the districts most likely to say maintenance has got worse, at 43% each – well above the national average. Just 6% of South Canterbury Members said road maintenance had improved, and 18% of Members in Northland.
- Hawke’s Bay Members were more likely to say that road maintenance had improved in the past year, although more Members still said it got worse (20% improved vs. 36% got worse).
- Rural Members were more likely to say maintenance had got worse (39%) than the national average (33%).
How much focus do AA Members want on road maintenance?
Smoother roads and fewer potholes is the single biggest transport priority for AA Members nationwide
We asked Members what transport issues most need improving in their area, and they could choose up to three. Nearly half (48%) picked smoother roads and fewer potholes – more than any other issue on the list, including safer roads and driver behaviour (43%) or less traffic congestion (39%).
- In Northland, more than 7 in 10 Members (72%) say smoother roads and fewer potholes is a top priority – the highest of any district.
- Taranaki (67%), South Canterbury and Southland (64% each) weren't far behind.
About the AA State of Local Transport Survey 2026
The results in this report are based on responses from 8,336 AA Members who participated in the AA State of Local Transport 2026 survey. The survey was sent to a random sample of Members, including the members of the AA Member Voices Panel. A total of 163,748 Members were invited to participate, resulting in a 5.1% response rate. The maximum margin of error at the 95% confidence level is approximately ±1.1%. The survey was conducted between 29 April and 26 May 2026.
The survey explored Members' views on local transport across driving, walking, cycling and public transport, including road maintenance, road safety, and satisfaction with getting around their local area.
Results have been weighted to be representative of AA Membership by age, gender, and AA district. Percentages may not always add to 100% due to rounding.
See What AA Members think about local transport options and priorities for details about the 2025 survey.
These findings highlight the importance of road maintenance to AA Members. While satisfaction with road condition has improved since 2025, many Members remain dissatisfied with the condition of their local roads, and more than half reported experiencing an impact from poor road maintenance. These impacts were particularly common in some rural areas and districts.
The results help inform the AA's advocacy and policy positions, alongside research evidence, policy analysis, and input from AA District Councils across New Zealand. They also provide context for the AA's transport priorities and the issues Members believe require ongoing attention.
Road maintenance is one of the areas highlighted in the AA's 2026 Election Calls. The AA is advocating for road maintenance to be the first priority for transport funds. This would mean roads can be kept in good condition and deterioration addressed before more extensive repairs are required. For more information, see the AA's 2026 Election Calls.
The AA State of Local Transport Survey covers a range of transport issues affecting AA Members.
Media contact and further information
- For media enquiries, please contact the AA Manager of Research, Safety & Communications Dylan Thomsen, +64 4 931 9991
- For information about the survey or further results, get in touch with our team at membervoices@aa.co.nz.
- Visit the AA Transport Surveys to find out more about the survey programme.