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Surrey car insurance holders suffer worst pothole epidemic

10 Mar 2010

Posted by Judith Stevenson

Car insurance policyholders in Surrey could be faced with big repair bills as the county has been named as the pothole capital of the UK.

Research by Kia has found that there are around 1,998 potholes in Surrey affecting the county's 450,000 car insurance policyholders.

Hampshire motorists are next worse-off, with 892 holes being logged in the county and Kent came in third with 857.

Dealers in the worst-affected areas have reported a 150 per cent rise in pothole-related repairs, according to Kia.

The average bill totals £750 and suspension failure, damaged alloys and split tyres are the most common problems associated with poor road surfaces.

Sue Mulcaster, a Kia Motors UK spokesperson said that although potholes are often unavoidable, there are ways to avoid huge repair costs.

"Slowing down as much as possible and taking your foot off the brake before impact can help reduce damage, while holding the steering wheel firmly will help maintain control," she commented.

Two students from Italy have designed a device to make potholes more visible which could also help car insurance policyholders to spot craters and avoid them.