Pothole payouts

Besides the frosty mornings, Christmas songs and office parties, there’s nothing that says winter quite like a road pockmarked with potholes.

Not only are they unsightly, potholes are also responsible for causing worn tyres, wheel alignment problems and damaged suspension systems. What’s worse is that they’re not going away anytime soon.

In April 2023, the RAC reported that there was more than half a million potholes across the UK's network of major and minor roads. Later in the year, the government pledged £8 billion to repair roads and back drivers.

What to do if you hit a pothole

Despite your natural instincts, you should try not to swerve out of the way of a pothole. This is more likely to cause damage to your car or increase the risk of a collision with another driver.

Instead, if you do run into a pothole, the first thing you should do is gradually slow down so that you reduce the force of the impact. As a rule of thumb, avoid doing anything abrupt on the roads unless you absolutely have to. Other road-users aren’t to know your intentions and they could get hurt as a result.

However, if you do hit a pothole and it feels like you’ve made heavy contact, then you should pull over as soon as it is safe to do so. The pothole may have been deeper than you thought or your vehicle might have hit it at an angle.

Check for any exterior damage to your tyres and wheel arch. Once you get back in the car, pay attention to the way it drives. Is there a vibration running through the car? Is the steering wheel not centring like it used to? Is the car pulling to one side voluntarily?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then you should take your vehicle to a garage or tyre specialist, as there could be costly tracking or steering damage that will need fixing immediately.

How to make a claim

Regardless of whether you intend to make a claim or not, you should firstly report the pothole to the relevant local council. They have a duty to keep the roads safe and will need to fix any potholes that are reported to them.

Of course, this also means that if the pothole is not reported and there is resulting damage, the chances of winning a claim are slim and you could be left with a hefty car repair bill.

If you do choose to make a claim however, you will need to send the relevant local authority a letter highlighting any details you have regarding the incident. For extra evidence, ask your mechanic to put the reasoning in writing for you.

If the local council has already received reports of the pothole, you should expect to receive either the entire repair cost back or a portion of the cost.

In events where the damage is costly, you'll need to speak to your insurance company. For more information on how to make a claim, visit the government website.