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Britain’s roads are ravaged by potholes – and motorists are paying the price.
Almost 37,000 miles of road are in poor condition and have less than five years of life remaining without intervention, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance.
Meanwhile, the average cost of pothole damage has surged by 16pc since 2021 – with the typical cost for repair in the low thousands of pounds. The number of pothole claims made by motorists is up by a third since 2016.
However, if a pothole has caused damage to your vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation.
Local authorities paid out more than £22.7m in compensation last year alone. According to motoring magazine WhatCar? nearly 40,000 people successfully received compensation between January 2018 and October 2021, with an average payout of £347.
Here, Telegraph Money explains how to maximise your chances of getting money back.
Find out who is responsible
A pothole forms when water seeps into small pre-existing cracks in the road surface and then freezes and expands in cold temperatures.
When the weather thaws, the frozen water evaporates, leaving gaps in the surface which gets further broken down by traffic passing over it.
To count as a pothole, the hole must usually be at least 40mm deep – about the height of two 20p coins.
While it’s still possible to claim for damage if a pothole is smaller than this, it is likely to be more difficult.
The responsibility for fixing potholes, and general road maintenance, is often in the hands of local councils which – if shown to have been negligent in keeping roads properly maintained – could be liable to pay for your car repairs.
Brian Gregory, of the Alliance of British Drivers, said getting pothole compensation is “not an easy process”, adding: “Local authorities and councils [are] strapped for cash anyway, they’re looking for any way that they can raise revenue rather than spend it.”
The authority responsible for potholes varies depending on the road. Local roads, B roads, and some smaller A roads are maintained by councils in England, Wales and Scotland, while motorways and larger A roads are maintained by the Highways authority.
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