Research has revealed that in recent years over £800,000 has been paid out to drivers who have experienced vehicle damage due to potholes. With this in mind motoring experts at BlackCircles sent Freedom of Information requests to local authorities across the UK to reveal the areas with the most reported potholes over the past five years, the number of potholes repaired each year and the total annual cost of pothole repairs.

BlackCircles also surveyed 2,000 people as part of their research, to determine what impact potholes have on UK motorists. The full research can be viewed here but the top three areas were:

1 – Hertfordshire takes top spot with an average payout per claim at £367.

Regarding compensation claims paid out by councils, Hertfordshire paid the highest average in 2023, at £367 per claim. This is slightly less than one and a half times the average payout (£261) and £93 less than the £460 drivers can expect to pay for vehicle damage caused by potholes. 

2 – Suffolk and Surrey follow in joint second with an average payout per claim at £350.

Two local authorities take second place, with Suffolk and Surrey paying out an average of £350 per claim in 2023. According to the data, the most successful claims were made in Surrey, with almost one in six (14%) successful claims compared to just over one in 10 (11%) in Suffolk.  

The survey revealed the following about the state of UK potholes:

Further findings also revealed:

James Harding, a motoring expert with 15 years of experience at Blackcircles, has commented on the findings from the pothole report:

“Reports have suggested that the estimated cost of repairing England and Wales’ pothole-plagued roads could amount to almost £17bn. The quality of the country’s roads has been heavily in the spotlight over recent weeks, with the Prime Minister pledging £1.6bn towards fixing the pothole pandemic the UK faces, but many believe more needs to be done.

Our latest research has uncovered the worst-hit areas of the UK for potholes and Newcastle comes out on top. The northwest city reported 3,275 potholes per 100 kilometres of road and our survey revealed that a third of local motorists have suffered damage to their vehicle at least once due to the city’s potholes.

As well as being a nuisance to motorists around the country, potholes are also putting a financial strain on local councils. The findings from our report revealed that Croydon was the area of the UK where the highest amount was spent repairing potholes, at over £500,000 per 100 kilometres of road. When combining the total cost spent on pothole repairs across the top 10 local authorities in our research, over £2.2 million has been spent, further highlighting the impact the quality of UK roads has on the country’s finances.”

(Pic: BlackCircles)