New data has revealed that one in four motorists have damaged their car on a pothole or speedbump. That number rises to nearly one in three (30 percent) for people in urban areas.
The Opinium survey of 2,000 drivers found that a quarter of those who had damaged their car in such a way had incurred costs of between £51 and £100 for the repairs. Over a third (175 drivers) had paid between £101 and £250, and 40 drivers had a bill of over £250.
Around 200 (39 percent) of the affected drivers said they had complained to the council about the damage to their cars. Over half (55 percent) said they were ignored. Thirty-nine percent (78 drivers) said that action was taken as a result of their complaint. Twenty drivers (10 percent) even sent their bill to their respective councils.
Just over a fifth of those who had taken damage from potholes or speed humps said they did consider complaining but “didn’t see the point” because “nothing would change”.
Roads that damage cars could be increasing emissions
Incredibly, one in six drivers (17 percent) said that they consciously take a longer route to avoid potholes and other road damage. Longer journeys often translates to more emissions, meaning potholes could, in some way or another, be increasing emissions output.
“Damage to cars caused by speedhumps and potholes, in particular, is becoming a big problem as councils struggle with the cost of repairing them,” said Ben Wooltorton, COO of InsureTheGap, the company behind the survey.
“This cold snap will see more potholes and, as we can see from the research, repairs can run into hundreds of pounds. It really is worth avoiding them if possible, and going a different way if the road is particularly bad.”
