Few compensation claims for pothole damage to vehicles are successful – report

Halfords launches a pothole damage check

Alan Jones
Thursday 17 October 2024 01:50 EDT
Halfords has launched a pothole damage check (Jane Barlow/PA)
Halfords has launched a pothole damage check (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Fewer than one in five claims for compensation for damage to vehicles caused by potholes are successful, new research suggests.

Motoring services firm Halfords said potholes were now a “huge issue” across the UK, with its research among 2,000 drivers showing that more than one in four has had their vehicle damaged.

The company said even if the Government met its pledge to fill in a million potholes a year, it would only “plaster over the cracks”.

Karen Bellairs, Halfords’ managing director of garages, said: “The UK’s roads are in a shocking state and drivers are hitting potholes more and more frequently.”

Halfords said its research among dozens of councils suggested that 18% of claims for compensation from motorists whose vehicles were damaged by driving over potholes were successful.

Halfords has launched a pothole damage check which it said was aimed at helping drivers make claims for pothole-related damage.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in