A survey carried out by road safety organisation, GEM Motoring Assist (GEM), reveals that half of UK drivers have had a crash or a near miss whilst swerving to avoid a pothole! Committed to the safety of all road users, GEM developed the survey due to the huge rise in the number of potholes on UK roads since the bad weather and snow earlier last month. However, despite the high percentage of drivers affected by potholes, GEM was shocked to find that almost 70% of those surveyed had never reported a pothole in their area to the local council.

Despite not taking the time to report dangerous potholes, 9 out of 10 motorists believe that local councils are not doing enough to repair the damage to the roads. Reports show that there is already a huge backlog of repairs needed in all areas of the country and the widespread cold and frost has added to the problems. Certain estimates put the total cost of repairs at £100 million.

Interestingly, councils appear to be getting away with not having to spend even more money. The survey shows that over half of UK drivers have suffered damage to their cars from potholes but ONLY 5% have made a claim against the local council for the damage. This is largely due to ignorance as a massive 88% of motorists admitted they were unaware of the procedure to follow to make a claim if their vehicle is damaged as a result of a pothole. Some also did not know they could claim for this type of damage at all!
CEO of GEM, David Williams comments, ‘‘Potholes affect every road user, from drivers and motorcyclists to cyclists and those on foot. 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.

Local councils need to take swift action in alleviating this nationwide problem but it is also important for motorists to play their part in reporting potholes to local councils. Potholes are not simply just a nuisance they are a massive road safety issue.’’

In response to the survey findings GEM has set up a page on its website to offer advice to the public on how to claim for pothole damage visit www.potholes.co.uk for more information.