Millions of uk drivers urged to make one phone call to escape £500 charge

DATA SHOWS 83 PER CENT OF MOTORISTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED POTHOLE DAMAGE HAVE BEEN PAYING REPAIR COSTS FROM THEIR OWN POCKETS. 09:53, 30 May 2025 Drivers spend roughly £500 on fixing

pothole-related issues - but have been urged to use a claims loophole for vehicle damage caused by poor UK roads. Data shows 83 per cent of motorists who have experienced pothole damage have

been paying repair costs from their own pockets. That is compared to only six per cent claiming through their insurance companies. Greg Wilson, CEO of Quotezone, said: "We encourage

motorists to report any potholes in their local area, even if they haven't had an accident, to help the council preemptively recognise the need for repairs in problem areas and

hopefully prevent damage to vehicles." Mr Wilson warned that pursuing this route comes with important considerations regarding policy terms. "If drivers have tried to claim through

the local council and been turned away, they can look to their insurance provider for protection," he said. READ MORE LLOYDS BANK BRINGS IN BIG CHANGE AND ANYONE WHO IS IN A

'COUPLE' WILL BENEFIT "If the policy is fully comprehensive, then pothole damage is normally covered as standard." Potholes across England are showing a dramatic 40 per

cent year-on-year increase on average. Article continues below The RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “It is absolutely remarkable that, on average, drivers we surveyed are far more

concerned about the state of their local roads this year than they are about either the cost of motor insurance – which has been rocketing in recent years – or the cost of fuel which is

still at an uncomfortably high level. “If this doesn’t underline the seriousness of the situation we now find ourselves in, we’re not sure what does.” Mr Williams said: “The new government

simply must do something differently. Without a promise of far more funds for councils – something we will push hard for ahead of the autumn budget – its options are extremely limited. Put

bluntly, the less we spend as a nation on our roads now, the more it will cost us in the future.” Article continues below A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Rebuilding Britain

means modernising our transport infrastructure, and we are absolutely committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. "We will maintain and renew the network, including

supporting local authorities to fix up to 1m more potholes a year, to ensure our roads serve users, are safe, and tackle congestion.”