Oxfordshire mechanic says pothole repairs has become a very common issue
The number of pothole compensation claims made to councils across Britain has doubled in a year
Last updated 21st Nov 2024
A mechanic in Oxfordshire is urging drivers not to ignore damage caused by potholes, to ensure vehicles are road safe.
The number of pothole compensation claims made to councils across Britain has doubled in a year, according to research from the RAC.
Oxfordshire County Council are currently 'waiting to hear what its share of the extra Government funding' which was announced by Rachel Reeves in the Autumn Budget last month.
'One pothole caused £2,000 damage'
Nick Newitt, has been working as a mechanic at Thame One Stop Auto Centre for over 40 years, he says "the every day damage that we see is damaged tyres and dented wheel rims, but we have had instances where the front suspension has been wiped out.
"We did a Mercedes last month where a pothole had wiped out the bottom of the front bumper, the intercooler, air condenser, the radiator, ripped the bottom covers off, and damaged the gearbox. It cost over £2,000 to repair.
Mr Newitt also tells us some advice to look out for signs of damage, he said: "If the car is still drive-able, look for any discrepancies on the steering or noises whilst you're driving it.
"Make sure that the car looks as how when you first got in it that day. If it doesn't, call the breakdown service because it's quite possible you've damaged some suspension component or a spring.
"It's not too bad to repair, but it can go on to cause further damage if you continue to drive on it".
Will potholes be repaired?
Oxfordshire County Council say they are "waiting to hear what its share of extra Government funding announced by the Chancellor in late October will be".
In a statement from the council, they said: "Extra funding is welcome but it is unlikely to come anywhere near covering the backlog for repair that every council in the land has.”
The research in more detail:
RAC research found 20,432 claims were submitted to 18 local authorities with the largest road networks in 2023, compared with 8,327 in 2022.
Of the councils which provided data, Surrey County Council saw the biggest increase in claims, from 734 to 3,418.
The study also indicated that just 15% of claims made last year resulted in pay-outs.
The highest proportion of refusals among the local authorities included in the analysis was 98% by Gloucestershire County Council.
Payments averaged just £260 each, whereas the RAC believes a typical repair bill for pothole damage beyond a puncture is £460.
Councils refused seven out of 10 claims because they were not aware the pothole existed, which is permitted under the Highways Act 1980.
The figures, obtained in response to Freedom of Information requests, also revealed that 13 councils spent a total of more than £166,000 in legal fees to defend pothole claims.
"We strongly urge drivers to inform councils about any potholes they are aware of"
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "These findings are a stark reminder that the ongoing poor condition of many of the UK's local roads is burning holes in the budgets of both local authorities and drivers.
"While some councils appeared to prioritise paying legal fees over settling pothole claims, the cost in time and money of defending claims appears to far outweigh the expense of reimbursing drivers for the damage done to their vehicle in the first place.
"Even if a driver successfully pursued compensation, the average sum paid out of £260 is often well below the cost to fix a pothole-damaged car, for anything more serious than a punctured tyre.
"We strongly urge drivers to inform councils about any potholes they are aware of, either via the RAC's website or using the free Stan app which collects data on the state of UK roads.
What's the Government doing on this?
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "For too long, this country has suffered from a pothole plague, which is why this Government is taking action by investing a further £500 million for 2025/26.
"For next year, this goes beyond our manifesto commitment to support local leaders to fix up to a million more potholes.
"We want to achieve this in the most cost-efficient way for the taxpayer by providing local authorities with multi-year funding settlements, enabling them to better maintain their roads and avoid potholes in the first place."