£23 million. That’s a lot of money. But that’s the amount UK motorists were paid in compensation by councils in 2012. The reason? Damage to their vehicles caused by potholes. Now councils are being squeezed out of cash to reimburse successful claimants, and there are no signs it will stop. Are councils on a rocky road?

Poorly maintained roads are widespread in England and Wales, with the amount of road repairs growing over the past three years. Severe weather, particularly during cold winters, has seen potholes creating travel mayhem. When water enters holes in the road and freezes it swells and cracks, resulting in an uneven surface. With more motorists complaining of these hazardous obstacles, councils are under more pressure to keep up with road restoration.

The UK has an extensive road network. With over 240,000 miles of road, it is inevitable that damage will occur. A and B roads make up about 50,000 miles, with nearly 3,000 miles comprising of motorways. Minor public roads contribute to approximately 80% of the UK roads – at just fewer than 200,000 miles, whilst there are about 200 miles of pedestrianised roads. The strain these roads are under is immense.

The average cost of repairing a pothole is £50. Given that 12 % of all motorists suffered some form of damage to their cars – to their suspension, tyres and rims – the figures soon add up. An independent estimation revealed that the cost of restoring the entire UK backlog of damaged roads is in excess of £13 billion. No wonder some councils deem it fit to paid compensation rather than spend money for the repair work.

Research reveals that motorists in the North West (comprising 17 councils) were paid £8 million in 2012 – the most of any area in the UK. The 10 councils that make up the Yorkshire and Humberside area distributed compensation to the tune of £3.3 million. In the past two years, over 50,000 claims were made to councils, and three quarters of drivers believed that the quality of roads is worse than they were 5 years ago. This makes for grim reading. Given that 15 vehicles are damaged every minute – a staggering 8 million per year – it is clear that the UK’s pothole problem is escalating.

Councils receive 50 complaints daily from angered motorists. If the councils are unaware of the specific pothole that is accountable for the damage, compensation is generally not granted. However, motorists are more likely to reach a satisfactory conclusion if the council has not acted on prior knowledge. The first step when submitting a no win no fee traffic accident claim is to take photographic evidence and record when and where the damage was caused. The second step is to report this to the local council, who should repair the culpable pothole within a week. Failure to this could make claims stronger.

Pedestrians, too, can be victims of potholes. In 2012, a woman in Burton-on-Trent received £3,500 compensation when she fell on a pavement caused by a pothole. She suffered a chipped tooth and bruising, and Staffordshire County Council was charged with failure to preserve public pavements. The road for councils, and the public, may become more problematic.