POTHOLES - we all hate them but not many of us are able to entirely avoid them!
If you are one of the many who has suffered pothole misery this winter, you’ll be overjoyed to learn that they now have their very own day... yes, Sunday, January 15 is officially National Pothole Day.
The nationwide celebration was created in 2015 to raise awareness of the ever-growing pothole problem on our roads by StreetRepairs.co.uk, a website which encourages road users to report road damage direct to their local council, and forms part of an awareness campaign to rid Britain’s roads of the pothole blight.
Passionate campaigner, Mark Morrell who is known in the media as Mr Pothole, has supported National Pothole Day for several years and remains a passionate expert on roads.
We’d love to see pictures or videos of the biggest potholes where you live and to hear your stories of pothole misery
In the meantime if you do find yourself stuck in a pothole insurers GoCompare has written a guide on what to do if your car is damaged, with easy to follow steps to ensure that you aren’t left out of pocket if your car hits a pothole.
GoCompare’s pothole tips:
If it’s safe to do so, take pictures of the offending pothole and the damage caused to your car, in situ.
Note the time and exact location of the pothole and the road.
Seek out any witnesses to the incident, they might help if you need to claim off a local authority.
Keep receipts of any repair work you have to have done on your car, including the dates and details of the damage caused, again, in case you need to claim.
Ryan Fulthorpe, of GoCompare car insurance, said: “Potholes are a major menace for British motorists, in fact a study GoCompare carried out found that UK’s total potholes stretches more than 115Km or 72 miles. So, the likelihood of hitting a pothole is increasing every year.
“But claiming on your insurance isn’t necessarily the best way to go if you do fall foul of a pothole, as it will probably see your car insurance premium increase the following year. These potholes are usually caused by a lack of maintenance to the road surface, so it’s important that you make a note of the exact road and location of the offending pothole, then find out who owns it and get in touch with them about claiming for any damage to your vehicle. Be prepared to negotiate to get a settlement and make a note of all of your correspondence with the road owner while doing so.
“The best way to deal with potholes is to be road aware and safely avoid driving over or in them at all costs to save the hassle and your pocket.”