Motorists are driven to distraction by state of ungritted, potholed roads

More than three in four of those questioned north of the Border said not enough was done to salt and grit streets between November and February.

The figures compares to a total of 58 per cent across Britain.

More than half of Scots also saw potholes and other road damage as a "very big" problem in their area, against 39 per cent in Britain overall. A similar proportion of those polled north of the Border – 57 per cent – were dissatisfied with levels of road maintenance.

The poll, by Ipsos MORI for the RAC Foundation, comes as several Scottish councils are pouring massive amounts of extra cash into repairs following the big freeze in December and January.

The Automobile Association has already predicted a one-third increase in potholes because of the effects of "freeze-thaw" – water in cracks in roads freezing and expanding, causing the surface to break apart.

The poll found that improving roads was the number-one transport priority among two in three Scottish drivers, following by curbing motoring costs such as fuel.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "This starkly underlines the huge inconvenience potholes are causing the Scottish public."

Edinburgh city council increased emergency repair spending by nearly fivefold to almost 1 million between January and March, and has added a further 2m over the next year.

Robert Aldridge, the councillor responsible for roads, said: "I understand the frustration of drivers, given the long history of under-investment in Edinburgh's roads, which the council is now taking action to reverse."

He said before the severe weather, the council had been making "excellent" progress in clearing the repairs backlog, cutting the proportion of roads requiring work from 50 per cent to 35 per cent in two years.

Mr Aldridge added that during the big freeze – the coldest for 30 years – "main roads were prioritised for treatment and remained open throughout, with minimal impact on public transport".

He added: "Unlike some other councils, this council did not at any point run out of salt or grit."

Glasgow city council, which has trebled its road maintenance spending this year to 12m, said it had kept the city moving through the snow and ice.

A spokesman said: "Hundreds of staff worked around the clock to target 570 miles of priority carriageway, 215 miles of priority footway, and maintain a network of 760 self-help salt bins.

"As a result, schools remained open, public transport ran and local facilities from shopping to healthcare were accessible.

"Despite huge demand, we did not run out of salt – and were even able to provide assistance to some other authorities."