We asked the Department why its data presented a different picture of local road conditions compared to the worsening conditions that independent analysis and user experience were showing. The Department acknowledged that its data is not good enough. For example, on unclassified roads or C roads, which account for 62% by mileage of all local roads, it collects information on their condition from local authorities on a voluntary basis and over a four-year rolling average period rather than over two years for A, B and C roads, making it less robust and not up to date.21 The Department also presented other possible reasons to us, including that local authorities may be doing just enough maintenance work to keep more roads from being rated ‘red’ but that it does not have the granularity of data to know22