21/01/13
The nation's growing pothole menace costs councils well over £20 million in compensation pay-outs last year, research has found.
Consumer watchdog Which? reports that local authorities in the north west of England are shouldering the biggest proportion of the problem, having to compensate motorists to the total tune of some £8 million.
Councils in England and Wales paid out a total of £22.8 million to road users for damage caused to their vehicles by potholes last year, according to Asphalt Industry Alliance figures.
Back in 2011 the Government commissioned its Potholes Review, earmarking an extra £200 million for councils to spend on pothole repairs after finding a "significant increase" in the number affecting an "already fragile local highway network".
But almost two years on, Which? says the problem is still getting worse with the backlog of repair work rising from £53.2 million worth in 2009 to £61.3 million worth last year.
And it says the backlog of work could be extended further still by the bitterly cold conditions and snow which have hit the UK over the last few days. When temperatures plummet, the water and moisture in potholes freezes and expands, putting even more stress on an already cracked road.
Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: "Potholes are a menace for all road users. Drivers should help themselves and everyone else on the road by pointing out potholes to the local council."
Potholes can be reported through council websites with the Directgov site listing which council is responsible for different roads.
Which? said a motorist's chance of having a successful compensation claim depended on whether a council had already been aware of the offending pothole and had either not repaired it or failed to follow road maintenance guidelines.
Clearing the UK's entire backlog of road maintenance would cost some £12.93 billion, local councils have estimated.
