Car Insurance News from Be Wiser

Potholes Cause £1 Million in Car Damage Every Day

Potholes Cause £1 Million in Car Damage Every Day

Potholes are causing more than £1 million worth of damage every day to vehicles and endangering motorists lives.

The nation's road network is in such an awful state that in some areas as many as one in seven motorists have their cars damaged by potholes. On average across the UK, six per cent of vehicles will suffer pothole damage in a year.

The number of treacherous holes being reported to local authorities has risen five-fold, according to recent studies taken by road officials. This follows a cold winter and a particularly wet summer, resulting in many roads cracking due to the sharp temperature changes.

It is estimated that more than three million potholes have now opened up across Britain, creating a backlog that will take more than 11 years to repair at a cost of more than £100 million.

It seems that most pot-hole ridden areas are in the north of the UK - of the top ten regions for pothole damage, five are in Scotland and four are in Northern England.

The jolt to a car when it hits a pothole can require anything from minor repairs to the axle to new shock absorbers or whole new suspension. Damage can be caused by one big impact when hitting a particularly large hole, but is often the result of driving continually over poor road surfaces.

The average repair bill is £240, though insurance claims can be as high as £2,700. The total bill adds up to £413 million a year - or £1.1 million a day.

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