Over the past four years councils have paid out more than £11m to drivers who successfully claimed their vehicles had been damaged by potholes, new research has revealed.
The latest data from the RAC shows that patrols went out to more than 8,100 pothole-related breakdowns between April and June 2023, the highest number for this period in five years.
According to the RAC Pothole Index, drivers are now more than 1.6 times more likely to break down due to the repeated wear caused by potholes than they were 17 years ago.
Despite local authorities paying out £11m over the last four years, the compensation paid by councils has gone down in recent years, falling by a third between 2018/19 and 2021/22.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: ‘The fact councils are paying out money to drivers whose vehicles suffered pothole damage is another damning indictment of the state of our roads.
‘One crumb of comfort for councils is that in recent years the amount they have paid out has fallen considerably which might indicate that they are starting to get on top of defective road surfaces more quickly.
‘Conversely, it could mean drivers are reporting fewer potholes to the council which is significant because if councils are unaware of a defective road surface, then they are not obligated to pay out for vehicle repairs.’
Cllr Linda Taylor, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said: ‘Councils would much prefer to invest in preventative measures rather than pay compensation or reactively fix potholes, which works out more expensive in the long term.’
‘Despite the best efforts of councils, our local roads repair backlog is now the biggest it has ever been. Without any more additional funding, it is estimated that it would cost £14 billion and take 11 years to clear.
‘Only by the Government providing councils with increased and long-term funding certainty can this growing problem be addressed and our roads bought up to scratch.’
