Skip advert
Advertisement

Pothole compensation claims rise after flooding

Campaign group calls for signs to warn motorists of damaged roads and cut costs

Pothole compensation claims rise after flooding

Councils based in the areas worst hit by winter storms are facing massive increases in the number of compensation claims brought forward by motorists, according to campaign website Potholes.co.uk.

The campaign group fond that Somerset council had seen the number of claims rise to 204 in January and February, up from 24 in November and December - an increase of 750 per cent. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Twelve-year wait to fix UK's pothole-ridden roads

And the same trend was seen by Surrey county council, which was also victim to flooding at the beginning of this year. The council reported that it had seen a 353 per cent increase (from 405 to 1,834) in the number of claims, and told the group that an "unprecedented number of claims," meant that there was a backlog of claims waiting to go through the system.

Meanwhile, in Dorset, another area badly hit by the floods, the County Council saw claims for pothole damage increase from 85 in November and December to 193 in January and February – up 127 per cent.

• Which political party will do most to prevent potholes?

Pothole damage to cars in the UK creates an estimated annual repair bill of £730million and continues to increase each year, according to research by the campaign group and Warranty Direct.

In order to warn drivers of damaged roads and potholes, Potholes.co.uk has come up with a temporary road sign. It claims that it would only need to prevent two to three incidents to cover costs versus £100s in garage bills and compensation payments.

Call for action on UK's epidemic of road signs

Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “With potholed stretches of road affecting many road users on a daily basis, there’s now real cause to create dedicated signage. Let’s give people a fighting chance of avoiding unnecessary garage bills or even personal injury."

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand
Cyberster Black - front 3/4

New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand

MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car
News
10 Jul 2025
Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle
Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona - front end

Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle

Hybrid newcomers slug it out for family buyers’ hearts and minds
Car group tests
12 Jul 2025