British motorists paying out £1 billion to repair pothole damage

New figures reveal that motorists are paying out over £1 billion on repairs to rectify the damage caused by potholes. A study released by Halfords Autocentres, shows as many as 8 million vehicles a year suffer steering and suspension damage which may be attributed to poorly maintained road surfaces. Research produced by fillthathole.org.uk shows that complaints over potholes have almost doubled from a year ago. Councils were being notified at a rate of 54 a day in December, a 60 per cent increase on the average for the year.

Rectifying the damage caused by potholes can be unexpectedly costly, with an average repair bill of £135. Rory Carlin from Halfords Autocentres explains: “Even hitting a small pothole can easily damage wheels, tyres and affect steering alignment but serious suspension damage is becoming a more common occurrence. 

“From bent anti-roll bars to damaged shock absorbers, the problems are exacerbated by three factors; the inability of local authorities to keep pace with highway maintenance, an aging vehicle fleet more susceptible to damage as drivers keep cars for longer and component complexity, which drives up the cost of each individual repair.” 

Some regions had far higher incidences of pothole damage than others, with drivers from the North East being hit hardest with a £181 million bill, closely followed by motorists in the Midlands who pay out around £175 million for repairs. 

Those areas where drivers are least likely to encounter costly problems are Wales and the East of England where the repair bills for pothole-related damage are £53 million and £58 million respectively – though lower traffic density, rather than better quality of road surface, may be masking the true underlying threat. 

Councils, local authorities and the Highways Agency have a duty of care under The Highways Act to take reasonable measures to ensure that problems such as potholes are found and dealt with swiftly. 

Last year KwikFit estimated that pothole damage cost roughly half the latest figure.