£426k has been paid out to motorists in Stoke-on-trent for car damage after hitting potholes

New study names city as fourth highest in UK for insurance claims linked to potholes – with £2,299 dished out to fed-up drivers already this year

INSURANCE companies have paid out more than £426,000 in just over three years in pothole-related claims to car owners in Stoke-on-trent.

The city is the fourth worst in the UK for drivers claiming for damage caused to their vehicles by poor road surfaces – and claims totalling £2,299 have been lodged already in 2021.

Only in Belfast and Birmingham, and claims made by Highways England, were higher than those made by families in Stoke-on-trent since 2018.

In total, a new study by Gocompare Car has revealed that UK drivers claimed £4.1 million in damages over the past three years as a result of driving over potholes.

Britain spends millions of pounds each year in compensation for repairs and claims, while the cost continues to rise.

Last year, the UK reported a staggering 39,810 potholes, and councils spent a combined total of £99 million of taxpayers’ money repairing them.

The price comparison website used Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, sent to 67 UK councils, to reveal which drivers are claiming the most as a result of Britain’s pockmarked roads.

Ryan Fullthorpe, motor expert at Gocompare, said: “This piece of research shows that pothole damage is a common occurrence across the UK, and whilst this is annoying for anyone whose car has been affected by these, there are ways to claim for any repairs that may be needed.

“If you do intend to make a claim for pothole damage, you may not need to claim on your car insurance as you can, in some instances, claim from the local council or Highway Agencies.

“However, if you do decide to go down this route, it’s important to gather as much evidence as you can to support your claim, and check to see if the offending pothole has previously been reported.

“Drivers should be aware that they can only claim from either their insurer or the council, and not both, so although making a claim through an insurance policy may be a quicker route to receiving payment, drivers have to weigh up the fact that they will have to pay an excess and that they will lose their no claims bonus.

“And regardless of claim, you should always report a pothole if you see one as they may be annoying to some drivers, but could ultimately be dangerous to others.”

Tips to help prevent pothole damage while driving include:

■ Watch your speed: The faster you drive, the more potential there is for damage if you come into contact with a pothole;

■ Avoid big puddles: Puddles can be a great disguise for a pothole – so whilst we can’t avoid all puddles, it’s worth trying to avoid the bigger looking ones as you don’t know what’s underneath;

■ Keep both hands at the wheel: Always have both hands on your steering wheel to ensure you have full control of the vehicle if you do come into contact with a pothole;

■ Check your tyres: It’s worth taking the time to get your tyres checked regularly, particularly if you’re going on a longer journey.

This, again, will provide another layer of defence should you meet a pothole.

The Sentinel revealed in March that Stoke-on-trent City Council had become the first authority in the UK to invest in JCB’S machine which repairs potholes four times quicker than standard methods.

The city council is investing £25 million in the machinery after being ‘very impressed’ with the trials which took place last year.

And in January it emerged that almost 6,000 potholes had been repaired in a 12-month blitz on the city’s roads.

The multi-million pound investment meant the backlog of pothole repairs had also been reduced from 2,296 last January, to 643 in the first month of this year.