Investigation: Surge in pothole related claims
Our investigation has discovered a 'steep increase' in road defects across the south
Last updated 26th May 2023
Over 1,000 claims have been submitted by motorists across Dorset and Hampshire from January 1 to March 31 this year.
Almost 3,000 claims have been submitted across the two counties since January last year.
Most claims went against the motorist but over £40,000 was still paid out in compensation.
Of the 954 claims in Hampshire in 2022, 830 ruled against the motorist and 16 remain outstanding. Only 108 claims ruled in favour of the motorist.
Of the 264 claims in Dorset in 2022, 252 ruled against the motorist and 6 remain outstanding. Only six claims ruled in favour of the motorist.
Rhianon Lewis, from Segensworth Automobiles in Fareham, said: 'We've seen a rise in vehicles suffering pothole related damage.
"Tyres, wheel damage, suspension, shock absorbers and springs - it's anything to do with holding up the car getting wrenched when it gets in a pothole".
"I really don't know how motorcyclists are managing. In the old days you were told to look ahead, nowadays it's look in front of your bike".
Councillor Nick Adams-King, Executive Lead Member for Universal Services at Hampshire County Council, said:
“It is true that following the winter, where we experienced high rainfall and prolonged periods of freezing temperatures, we have seen a steep increase in road defects across Hampshire, a trend that is being seen nationally. We know that the condition of our roads and footways is a key priority for residents and is important for a healthy local economy. Our highways teams have been working incredibly hard to keep our 5,500 miles of road in good order and, in the five months up to the end of April alone, we have repaired 35,597 road defects including potholes.
“£38,000 would fix a very limited number of potholes. However, the recent award of £5.9 million from Government for this financial year will supplement the additional funding that the County Council already invests in highways and enable roughly 80,000 potholes to be repaired in the run-up up to the next winter. This notwithstanding, and with steeply rising demands, increasing costs and gradual reductions in the local authority’s annual funding from central Government, maintaining Hampshire’s roads is a constant challenge.
“Advice on making an incident claim can be found on our website and this is a relatively straightforward process. However, it is important to understand that we do not automatically pay out each claim received. Each application is thoroughly investigated by our legal team to determine liability so that we can ensure council taxpayers’ money is used appropriately.”
In Dorset, 207 pothole related claims have already been submitted to the council this year compared to 264 for the whole of last year.
The council paid out £1,653.88 last year but has already paid out £1,325.30 this year with seven months of the year remaining.
A Dorset Council spokesperson said: "Statistically, based on pre-pandemic data, the number of pothole claims is actually reducing, not increasing. Dorset compares favourably to other authorities which have a much higher payment rate, and the condition of our roads is considered better than many other areas of the UK.
"Dorset Council manages over 2,400 miles of roads, including fixing around 20,000 potholes every year which are prioritised for repair based on location, size, depth and the category of road they’re on. We aim to complete repairs within 32 hours (for the highest risk) and 28 days (for minor risk) of reporting by the public or our inspection team.
"Our Highways team works incredibly hard to look after our roads and recent additional central government funding has given us a welcome boost in resources to deal with maintenance issues faster than before."