New research by the RAC has revealed that council pothole compensation claims have doubled within a year. The research went on to report that of the huge rise in year-on-year claims, 17 councils paid out just over 3,000 of claims, of the over 20,000 claims which were submitted by drivers.
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00:00Discussing potholes, a Department for Transport spokesperson said, quote,
00:06For too long, this country has suffered from a pothole plague.
00:10Adam Hug, Transport Spokesperson for the Local Government Association,
00:15said all councils need greater longer-term funding certainty so that they can invest
00:20in preventative treatments that help avoid more dangerous potholes developing in the first place.
00:25Hug added that there is a, quote,
00:35The research from the RAC found that the chances of making a successful claim for pothole
00:40compensation is very limited due to the fact that 76% of the 17 councils that paid drivers
00:46any compensation for pothole damage refused more than three-quarters of the claims they received
00:52in 2023. Data also showed that 13 of the 18 councils that provided FOI data to the RAC
00:59paid out more than £166,000 in legal fees in order to defend pothole claims from drivers.
01:07Simon Williams, the head of policy at the RAC, said that, quote,
01:11These findings are a stark reminder that the ongoing poor condition of many of the UK's
01:16local roads is burning holes in the budgets of both local authorities and drivers.
01:21According to research conducted earlier this year, it was estimated that, on average,
01:26there are about six potholes per mile on council-controlled roads in England and Wales.
01:32The RAC's pothole index suggests that motorists are now twice as likely to break down as a result
01:38of repeated wear caused by potholes when compared to 17 years ago.
01:43The BBC have previously reported that, although small potholes rarely cause major accidents,
01:49if a vehicle hits a lot of them over time,
01:51it can lead to damage to the tyres, suspension and steering system.