About Britain’s roads

Everything you need to know about potholes – from reporting one to claiming for damage to your vehicle

The hole truth

No, you’re not imagining it, there really are more potholes on our roads these days! In fact, they’ve become such a problem that the RAC says it was called out to almost a quarter more (23%) breakdowns involving potholes in the last three months of 2022 than in the previous three months. Not only that, but the average cost of fixing damage caused by a pothole is up 16% since last year***.

Potholes form when water seeps into cracks in the road, then freezes and expands. Driving over a deep pothole, even at low speed, can seriously damage your car’s tyres, alloy wheels, steering alignment, wheel tracking and suspension. It can also increase the risk of accidents, as when steering is damaged, it’s difficult for the driver to control the vehicle. So what should you do if you spot one or – even worse – hit one?

If you see a pothole…

report it to the local authority (visit fixmystreet.com and enter the location of the pothole). It will increase the chances of it being fixed and can also help other drivers claim compensation for damage to their cars as councils can only be held liable for road defects that they are aware of. If you notice a pothole on a motorway or major A-road, report it at nationalhighways.co.uk.

If you hit a pothole…

submit a claim for compensation to the local authority. You will have to prove that the damage was caused by a pothole: gather evidence by noting the road name, the pothole’s exact location and the direction of travel. If it’s safe, take photos, adding an object like a shoe to give a sense of scale. Ask your mechanic to put in writing their assessment of the cause of the damage and keep a record of repair costs. For major roads and motorways, contact:

 National Highways in England (nationalhighways.co.uk).

 Traffic Scotland in Scotland (traffic.gov.scot).

 Traffic Wales in Wales (traffic.wales).

 The Department of Infrastructure In Northern Ireland (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk).