AA president Edmund King says the condition of Britain's roads has become 'a national scandal' in an explosive podcast appearance.He says drivers – who collectively pay tens of billions of pounds in motoring taxes every year – should rightfully 'feel short–changed' by the Government.Revenue from fuel duty alone was worth £24.3 billion in the year to the end of March. Among other taxes paid by drivers are VAT on fuel, vehicle excise duty and insurance premium tax.These funds go into the Treasury's central consolidated fund, which is spent across essential public services. And some of the revenue should be ringfenced for the upkeep of our highways to keep motorists safe.But instead, the nation's roads are riddled with more potholes, while dangerous smart motorways remain in place and delays caused by roadworks have reached record highs.This is due to a 'lack of strategic leadership on transport and cars', he said.King told the Logbook podcast that the combination of factors has put our roads at breaking point as he questioned where our money is going. 'It's a national scandal': AA president says drivers are paying billions in tax while potholes, smart motorways and roadworks reach 'breaking point'The cost of bringing pothole–plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at a record £18.6 billion.In his appearance on the podcast, King said: 'Our country without roads is nothing.'Ninety per cent of freight goes by road and 86 per cent of passenger journeys are by road.'If we didn't have the roads, the country would be at a standstill.'There would be no goods in our shops, no exports, and people wouldn't get to work.'This isn't a peripheral issue.'The AA president said drivers were paying the price for a failed 'patch–and–run' approach, where potholes are badly filled and return within weeks.He went on: 'It is the number one transport issue for 96 per cent of drivers.'At The AA, we see it first–hand.'Last year, our patrols were called out to 617,000 pothole–related incidents – punctures, damaged wheels, and steering and suspension damage.'For drivers, it is the worst feeling: dark nights, wet roads, puddles – you can't see the pothole, and then you hear the bang.'In a new poll of 2,000 UK drivers by online tyre retailer Blackcircles, 87 per cent of motorists say potholes are a problem in their area, with 19 per cent saying they are rarely or never fixed.One in five drivers surveyed said they've paid more than £200 for repairs caused by a pothole in the last 12 months. Mark from Leicestershire sent this image of the damage a pothole recently did to his car's wheel and tyre. It also suffered suspension damageMark, 25, from Leicestershire, who didn't want to provide his last name, said he spent around £400 repairing damage caused by a pothole near his home very recently.After noticing that the steering 'felt really strange', Mark discovered his car had suffered a cocktail of damage.This included a broken coil spring, broken top mount, a punctured tyre and a bent wheel. The cost to put this right also included wheel realignment.But some drivers are suffering far worse consequences than Mark.New figures from insurer Aviva show a quarter of claims for pothole damage result in vehicles being written off.This happens when the estimated cost of repairs exceeds the value of the vehicle, or it is not possible for the vehicle to be returned to a safe condition.Pothole claims – including repairs and write–offs – are worth £3,863 on average, according to Aviva.Hannah Pinches, motor claims director at the insurer, said: 'Many motorists may perceive potholes as an annoyance, but it's worrying to see how many cars have been written off due to severe damage.'Older vehicles can be more susceptible to damage, whereas modern cars have more technology and features which are often built into parts, such as bumpers.'Even seemingly minor damage could result in a vehicle being written off as the structural or safety integrity of the car has been compromised.'