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Potholes lead to car insurance claims for many motorists

23 Feb 2010

Posted by Judith Stevenson

Potholes are causing people to claim on their car insurance, according to new research, which showed that half of UK drivers have had a crash or near miss due to uneven road surfaces.

The survey from GEM Motoring Assist looked at how the recent bad weather has affected car insurance customers, but discovered that despite the big problem potholes cause, almost 70 per cent of people had never reported the issue to their local authority.

A total of nine in ten people questioned think that councils are not doing enough to fix poor road surfaces.

It also discovered that while half of UK drivers had suffered damage to their car due to potholes, only five per cent have put in a claim with the local authority.

David Williams, chief executive officer of GEM, said: "Often motorists will not spot a pothole until it is too late and, as the survey worryingly reveals, either swerve out of the way, which could result in a crash, or cause damage to their car"

Last month the Institute of Advanced Motorists urged car insurance customers to check tyres after going over potholes, to ensure there is no damage to inner or outer layers.