Councils in England pay out more for pothole damage than in Scotland
Wednesday, September 5th, 2012Councils in England have paid out more to drivers for pothole damage to cars than councils in Scotland, according to a survey conducted by Britannia Rescue insurance company.
The company obtained the figures using Freedom of Information requests.
The figures showed Aberdeen Council had the largest compensation bill north of the border, with £37,000 in compensation paid to drivers for damage to their vehicles.
Heading southwards, Surrey Council paid out £630,000 to drivers for pothole damage.
In the last two years 55,000 claims have been made for vehicle damage from potholes up and down the country. This has included damage to suspension systems, wheel rims, and tyre punctures.
The total amount Britain’s councils have paid out in the last two years for pothole damage comes to £4.8m.
According to Britannia Rescue, the problem has been compounded by wet summers and cold winters which damage road surfaces, and allow potholes to form as the asphalt loosens.
Somewhat ironically, the cost for vehicle repair from pothole damage is £132 when taken as an average. The average cost to repair a pothole is £50. Subsequently, if the compensation money was spent on repairing potholes in the first instance, 96,000 potholes could have been repaired.
Peter Horton, managing director of Britannia Rescue said: “The past two harsh winters caused significant damage to the UK’s roads, which has not been fully repaired yet. Cuts in road maintenance funding mean that local authorities face very difficult choices on the roads they prioritise for repair. Motorists should protect themselves by keeping an eye out for potholes and keeping speeds down – particularly in wet weather when holes may be filled by rain.”
