Norwich mechanic says deteriorating roads are causing increasing damage to vehicles
The number of pothole compensation claims made to councils across Britain has doubled in a year
A mechanic in Norfolk is telling us that more funding is needed to repair the county's deteriorating roads - which he says are causing increasing damage to our cars.
The number of pothole compensation claims made to councils across Britain has doubled in a year, according to research from the RAC.
In Norfolk there were 546 claims in 2023 - that's a 139% increase on 2022, when the council received 228 requests.
"It can be quite dangerous"
Matthew Moore, from 'The Number One Motor Company' based in Norwich, says drivers shouldn't ignore issues around this: "It's all great for business, don't get me wrong.
"Coil spring breaks are not one of those things that can wait until your next MOT.
"It's something that can be quite dangerous, given that it can twist around in the cup of the shock absorbers seating and then go on to possibly puncture your tyre.
"If you hear a noise when you're driving and turning the steering wheel left or right, that could be the coil spring making a clunking noise.
"The speed bumps are there for a reason, don't go over them at normal speed. Try and go over them at around 10-15 mph, just so you don't do any extra damage to your suspension."
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."