Mark Whitehead 19 October 2017

Councils paid out more than £3m last year due to pothole damage

Putting all the UK's potholes together would create a 40km hole stretching down to the Earth's mantle, according to research by the comparison website Confused.com.

The research, obtained through freedom of information requests to almost 200 local authorities and a survey of motorists, found more than 1m potholes were reported by drivers in 2016.

Confused.com says a third of drivers reported damage to their car from potholes and councils paid £3.1m in compensation to victims last year.

They spent more than £104m repairing potholes, but 69% of drivers think they should do more to tackle the problem.

The website has created an interactive animation showing the 40k hole which is almost four times as deep as the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean.

According to Confused.com Wiltshire Council made the biggest pay-out to victims of pothole damage, more than half a million pounds in total, followed by Surrey and Cardiff.

The cost of repairing potholes also varied widely. Westminster council came top of the list paying an average £2,400 to repair each of 250 potholes last year.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: 'If drivers experience a bump in the road, they should report it to their local council as soon as possible before the problem gets any worse.

'The cost of motoring alone is getting more and more expensive and damage repairs is a big contributor to this, as car parts increase in price as well.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Youth Support Worker in Training

Essex County Council
£25580.00 - £26924.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & local Gov Pension
Youth Support Worker in TrainingPermanent, Full Time£25,580 to £26,924 per annum plus an Outer Fringe allowance of £954 paLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Community Support Worker

Essex County Council
£25395.00 - £32131.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Community Support WorkerPermanent, Full Time£25,395 to £32,131 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Assistant Director – Public Health (Partnerships & Commissioning)

Leicestershire County Council
£98,673 - £111,60
You will report to our Director of Public Health who is a chief officer of the council reporting to the Chief Executive Leicestershire
Recuriter: Leicestershire County Council

District Youth & Community Worker in Training

Essex County Council
£29606.00 - £36837.00 per annum + Per Annum
District Youth & Community Worker in TrainingPermanent, Full TimeFrom £29,606 to £36,837 per annum depending on experience, plus an Outer Fringe allow England, Essex, Harlow
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Senior Youth Worker (South and Vale)

Oxfordshire County Council
£38220 - £40777
Are you passionate about making a diffe... Oxfordshire
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council
Linkedin Banner