Cars damaged by a pothole cost an average of £164 to repair
One in three cars have been damaged by a pothole – costing an average of £164 to repair.
A poll of 2,000 car owners found 32 per cent have broken their car as a result of driving over a dip in the road, with punctured tyres (55 per cent), suspension issues (28 per cent) and damaged alloys (26 per cent) the most prevalent damage sustained from them.
But it’s not only the cars left damaged, as more than one in 20 (six per cent) drivers have picked up physical injuries, such as whiplash, back and neck pain.
Potholes top the list of motorists’ bugbears – with nearly half believing road conditions have taken a nosedive in the last five years.
CarSupermarket.com, which commissioned the research, has stepped in to assist motorists by repairing and reconditioning potholes in line with its refreshed branding and broader emphasis on reconditioned vehicles.
The new strategy focuses on carefully reconditioning once loved vehicles, renewing them to high quality standards before a new driver picks it up to cherish it once more.
Matt Barrick, CEO of the motoring brand, said: "Potholes are a persistent problem for drivers, so it is no surprise they rank among the biggest frustrations on UK roads - they can cause damage, create safety concerns and add unnecessary costs for motorists.
“The research also shows that many other frustrations come down to driver behaviour - more patience, awareness and consideration for other road users can go a long way in making the roads safer and less stressful for everyone.
“But we were keen to tackle the primary problem for motorists by reconditioning potholes and relieving some of that anxiety they face when taking to the road.”
The study also found 47 per cent believe road conditions are ‘much worse’ than they were five years ago – and 21 per cent described the current state as ‘very poor’. To help improve the roadways, a quarter believe repairing the ultimate annoyance should be a top priority - although 41 per cent admitted they didn’t know how to report one to be filled.
In an example of the state of the nation’s roads, 22 per cent claim they avoid a minimum of 11 cavities on a typical drive, and 37 per cent forced to swerve to miss a dip in the road.
The OnePoll.com study found as well as potholes, motorists were raging about drivers not indicating (59 per cent), tailgating (57 per cent) and drivers on the phone (54 per cent). Other annoyances include parking across two spots (48 per cent) and people crossing the road without looking (40 per cent).
When confronted by their grievances 43 per cent will rant to themselves – but 24 per cent will beep their horn and 17 per cent have gone as far as to swear at the perpetrator. Meanwhile, if they were a passenger in a car where the driver committed an offence 41 per cent would suffer in silence, although 17 per cent would tell them off. But 56 per cent believe road users are less courteous now than they were five years ago.
On average, motorists think they are better drivers than others on the road, rating themselves 7.45 out of 10 and others 5.97.
Matt Barrick of CarSupermarket.com added: “It is no surprise to see people feel roads have gotten worse, whenever there is a cold snap, it feels like more craters appear overnight.
“It is very easy to report a pothole or damage to a road, you visit your local council’s website where you can report damaged road surfaces, or you can report it by phone.
“Once you have reported it, councils will investigate the damage within 10 working days where they will decide to fix the problem, add it to a list of long-term works or decide no further action is needed.”
Top 20 driver pet peeves
- Potholes
- Drivers that don’t indicate
- Tailgating
- Drivers on their phone
- Parking across two spaces
- People crossing the road without looking
- Drivers who keep fog lights/full beams on
- Cutting in at the front of a traffic jam
- Middle lane hoggers
- Cyclists running red lights
- Not saying thank you when letting you pass
- Bad parkers
- People that brake for no reason
- People reversing without looking
- Speeding
- Undertaking
- Overly complicated junctions
- Vans blocking a narrow road
- Undertaking on a motorway
- Beeping for no reason