Potholes across the UK continue to cause damage to millions of vehicles.

Motorists up and down the country are continuing to complain of the blight of potholes on the nation’s roads, with hundreds of millions of pounds being forked out in the last 12 months for vehicle repairs as a result of these hazards.

According to new research from Halfords Autocentres, a total of £1.2 billion – a 16 per cent increase from 2012 – was spent on pothole-related vehicle repairs last year, with 8.9 million cars affected by such damage.

The most common areas to be broken when a vehicle strikes a pothole are the suspension, steering and axles, with the typical repair bill for individuals claiming in these cases now standing at £140.

Across the UK, motorists in the south-west were shown to face the largest cumulative bill for vehicle maintenance (£85 million). This was followed by drivers in Kent (£78 million) and the East Midlands (£75 million).

Rory Carlin from Halfords explained: “The surface of our roads is deteriorating to the point where drivers are now likely to encounter a potentially damaging pothole during most journeys – with rain-filled holes being harder to see and avoid.

“In a new car a small pothole can damage wheels, tyres and shock absorbers but with large numbers of drivers keeping their cars for longer and cutting back on routine maintenance older, less well maintained cars are even more vulnerable.”

Overall, last year witnessed a 22 per cent increase in the number of motorists making claims for repairs as a result of damage caused by potholes and it is an issue that councils up and down the country are finding it hard to tackle.

Nationwide, Halfords estimates there is currently more than £1 billion a year being spent on repairing potholes by local authorities. However, the extent of the problem has become such that even this significant level of investment is not enough to stem the problem and it could take upwards of ten years to bring the issue under control.

Meanwhile, the ongoing heavy rains that are being witnessed across many parts of the country are unlikely to make this problem any better. In fact, they are almost sure to make the issue much worse over the coming months.

Potholes form when the subsurface beneath the road is eroded – through harsh frosts, ice build up and heavy rainfall. The surface of the road will then collapse when a heavy vehicle passes over it, exposing the hole beneath and causing a considerable hazard to all motorists and road users.

In response to the growing problem of potholes, roads minister Robert Goodwill recently commented: “The government is serious about tackling potholes. At best they are an irritation but at worst they can damage vehicles and pose a serious danger to cyclists. That is why we want people to tell councils where to find them so they can fill them in.”

How to report a pothole

Drivers have a responsibility to ensure their local authority is informed of any potholes when they form, as councils cannot be held responsible for repairs if they are not aware of the issue.

This means anyone who has their vehicle damaged by a pothole should get in contact with the Highways Agency via their council and provide the organisation with a number of items of information to ensure the issue can be fixed as soon as possible.

Motorists should make a note of the exact location of the road defect – the name and road number if known – as well as its position in relation to the kerb and the depth/width of the pothole.

Furthermore, road users are encouraged to take a picture of the offending hazard and any associated damage it may have caused to their vehicle. They should include this in any correspondence they undertake in order to seek compensation or simply to have the pothole filled.

All local authorities are required by law to have a roads maintenance policy in place and this includes the repair of defects such as potholes.

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Posted by Clare Lafferty, Account Manager, The Fuelcard People.