Pothole breakdowns have hit a five-year high for the month of September.
The AA have reported today (30 October 2023) that 47,223 members had to contact them for assistance due to pothole damage to their vehicles. This is a five-year high on callouts received in September and a 10% increase from September 2021 where 42,152 callouts were made.
The AA has dealt with 458,391 pothole related incidents so far this year. This is an average of nearly 51,000 a month. This means that the AA is set to attend nearly 612,000 pothole related incidents in 2023.
A wet summer has frustrated local authorities in clearing backlogs, with waterlogged roads being blamed for hiding potholes and a surge in pothole breakdowns.
This trend follows August where the AA reported that pothole breakdowns were at a five-year high and 13% up on August 2022.
Pothole breakdowns and a race against time
The clocks went back last weekend and winter is fast approaching. Any opportunities for local authorities to clear any backlogs has gone, meaning motorists are facing a grim winter ahead.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “After a dry start to the month and the hope that our roads would receive some much-needed extra pot-hole maintenance, drivers faced the now familiar challenge of trying to spot potholes lurking beneath the surface of rainwater.
With family budgets stretched, thousands of drivers have yet again found themselves needing to find extra funds to repair the damage to their car’s tyres, wheels, or suspension components.
The trend of pothole-related breakdowns continues to head in the wrong direction and 2023 still looks to be one of the worst years on record for pothole damage, again highlighting the need for more investment in local roads maintenance funding stronger than ever.
We know that longer-term funding has been pledged from HS2 savings but the Chancellor has the opportunity to give some short-term pothole relief by announcing more cash for roads in his Autumn Statement.
There is a financial cost to vehicles damaged by potholes but there can be a cost in lives for those on two wheels damaged by potholes.”
How to claim for pothole damage
Knowing how to claim for pothole damage is becoming increasingly difficult due to Councils moving to a risk-based approach on claims.
REPORT IT
If you hit a pothole and you believe it has damaged your vehicle, you need to report it as soon as possible. You can do this via www.fixmystreet.com or www.fillthathole.org.uk or simply contact the local authority direct by phone or via Twitter.
TAKE PHOTOS
Take photos if possible to evidence your claim. If it is safe to do so, put your foot by the pothole or in it for scale. I would suggest measuring it as well but nobody carries a ruler for such events, hence suggesting this.
PROVIDE A SKETCH WITH YOUR CLAIM TO PINPOINT THE POTHOLE
You will be asked to help the local authority find the pothole as there are that many on the roads. A simple sketch will suffice.
GET AN ESTIMATE FOR COST OF REPAIRS / PROVIDE A COPY RECEIPT
You are seeking a full refund for the damage caused due to the negligence of the local authority. Include this in your claim from the outset.
SUBMIT AN EIR / FOI REQUEST
Ask for 12 months’ worth of inspection reports and how many times this pothole has been reported. When was the last repair made? Was it reported before you hit it? You can also find out how many times it has been reported via www.fixmystreet.com and www.fillthathole.org.uk.
This is just the start of the process. You can find out more in my book “How to Complain: The Consumer Guide to Cancelling Parking Tickets and Winning Pothole Claims”.
Parking tickets and pothole claims are the two biggest issues affecting motorists today. This is why I wrote a book because it’s something I often get asked about.
I have done the hard work so you don’t have to.
What do you think of the latest AA findings? Do you think wet weather is to blame for the record number of pothole breakdowns? Have you tried to claim for pothole damage? Did you win a pothole claim?
