The cost of pothole damage in the UK is on the rise, as the number of potholes across the country increases.
New data, released by Kwik Fit, shows that after falling over the last two years, the amount spent to repair damage caused by a pothole strike increased last year, totalling £1.7 billion.
As part of its Pothole Impact Tracker, Kwik Fit’s latest research has found that the average repair bill faced by drivers is the highest since the company began tracking the cost in 2013. Drivers having to repair damage from potholes over the last 12 months had to spend out an average of £144. This is up from £120 in the previous year.
It also found that as well as the average repair cost going up due to pothole damage, there was an increase in the number of drivers facing the highest bills. During the last year, over one million drivers have paid more than £300.
ADAS adds to pothole damage bill
The most commonly impacted components with pothole damage over the last year were tyres, in 38% of repairs, as well as suspension in 28% of fixes, and wheels with 22% of the damage total.
In addition, with ADAS more common on modern vehicles, potholes are impacting more than just the components damaged by their impact. The research showed that 48% of cars needing repairs also needed wheel alignment, while 34% required the ADAS system to be recalibrated, adding further cost.
The vast majority of the nation’s pothole damage repair bill has come directly from drivers’ pockets, with 70% funding repairs themselves. Only 16% have claimed on their car insurance, while 7% said they were covered by separate tyre insurance policies.
Kwik Fit’s research found that just 6% had claimed compensation from the local authority responsible for the road.
“It is concerning to see that the downward trend of the last two years has gone into reverse in the latest figures,” said Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit. “Anything which adds unnecessary costs to motorists is especially unwelcome in the current economic climate but even the financial burden is outweighed by the risk to safety.
“The main components which bear the bulk of the pothole damage, tyres and wheels, suspension and steering, are interlinked. Even if a car is driveable after hitting a pothole, the impact may have compromised its handling, as can be seen by the fact that many drivers have had to have vital ADAS technology recalibrated.
“Not only do potholes present an immediate risk at the time of impact, they can have a longer term effect on its safety on the road.”
Pothole numbers increasing
The UK government has committed nearly £1.6 billion to fixing potholes across the UK in the next year. However, the RAC estimates that drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales.
The impact of pothole damage means that for workshops, there will likely be an increase in wheel alignment work, and suspension repair. In addition, ADAS calibrations will become more commonplace.
According to the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, 1.9 million potholes were filled over the last year. In the last decade more than £1.08 billion has been spent filling 17.5 million potholes, equivalent to one every 18 seconds, every day, for 10 years.
Around 73% of authorities responding to the ALARM survey stated that they use a guideline depth of 40mm to define a pothole. Depth definition is not always the only means of prioritising repairs as the potential effect of a surface defect can vary dramatically depending on the area affected, the nature of the traffic on the road and its location
