Whether you drive a car or cycle, you’ll know that potholes on the UK’s road network are a huge problem. The AA, which managed 631,852 pothole-related incidents in 2023, estimates that vehicle damage caused by poor road surfaces amounted to £474m last year.
The RAC also reported a record number of vehicle breakdowns caused by potholes on British roads last year. What’s more, some 96% of drivers rated potholes as the most important transport problem in a recent AA survey.
Another survey by Kwik Fit found that 70% of drivers have hit at least one pothole a week over the past year, with 25% saying they hit one every day.
Potholes, which are large holes in the road surface that result from gradual damage caused by traffic and extreme weather conditions, could be more damaging than you think.
Five of the most common types of damage caused by potholes
- Tire blowouts, punctures and other damage
- Damage to wheels and suspension.
- Problems with the steering system
- Damage to the underside of a vehicle
- Problems with the exhaust system
However, potholes don’t just damage your vehicle. In more severe cases, you could lose control of your vehicle and cause an accident that could cause more serious damage and injuries.
Tips to avoid damage from potholes
- Keep your tires at the proper pressure because over- or under-inflated tires will increase the likelihood of potholes.
- Keep an eye on the road ahead so you can spot potholes early and take steps to avoid them altogether.
- If you know that a particular route is full of potholes, try to avoid it until the potholes are fixed.
- Never assume a puddle on the road is just a puddle – it could be hiding a deep pothole.
- Don’t be tempted to swerve sharply to avoid a pothole – you could endanger yourself and other road users.
- When you see a pothole, try to gently reduce your speed because the faster you go over a pothole, the more likely your vehicle is to be damaged.
- Try to avoid braking when going over a pothole because it can put unnecessary stress on your car’s suspension.
- Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front to ensure full visibility of the road surface.
- Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel at all times to reduce the risk of it slipping out of your hands if you hit a large pothole.
- Keep your speed under control because the faster you go over a pothole, the greater the risk that you will damage your car.
- Smaller cars have smaller wheels, so they are more likely to be damaged by potholes, while larger vehicles (like SUVs) have larger wheels and tend to be more robustly built.
- If you think your car may have been damaged by a pothole, wait until you can pull over in a safe place before getting out to inspect your vehicle.
How to File a Pothole Damage Claim
If a pothole damages your car, you may be able to claim compensation. Here are five tips:
Collecting evidence
Make a note of where the pothole is, the time and date of the incident, and take a photo of the pothole. Include an object such as a shoe or a drink bottle to give an idea of scale. Then, if possible, take your car to a garage and ask for a written report from the mechanic, as well as an estimate for repairing the damage.
Find out who is to blame
To claim compensation, you need to know who is responsible. If the pothole is on a motorway or A-road in England, it is most likely a National Highways issue. For local roads, use this postcode checker to find out which local council is responsible. For other parts of the UK, use the following links to report potholes:
Make a claim
Please use the links above to make a claim. However, it is worth remembering that the success of a claim will often depend on whether the pothole has already been reported. Even if the authority or agency did not know there was a pothole because it had not been reported, you still have a chance of making a successful claim because you can prove that the road was not properly maintained.
Claim result
If you are successful, you can still reject the value of the offer if you think it is insufficient. If your claim is rejected, you can appeal. This is likely to be a more complicated process because you will have to prove that the relevant authority did not inspect and repair the road as often as it should have. You can also seek legal advice and make a claim through the courts, but this route can be time-consuming and is only worthwhile if the repair bill is substantial.
DISCOVER: A simple guide to car insurance and six ways to reduce your premium
Claim through insurance
If you have comprehensive cover, you can claim damage caused by potholes on your insurance policy, but it’s worth considering that you’ll have to pay the excess on any claim and it will affect your no-claims bonus, so it may not be worth it.
