Figures for 2012 collected by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) showed councils in England and Wales had to compensate drivers whose vehicles suffered pothole damage to the tune of £22.8 million.
Local authorities, who are responsible for the maintenance of B-roads and minor roads, are struggling to cope with the backlog of road repairs; in fact the estimated total cost to clear the full road maintenance backlog would be over £12 billion.
A pothole can be your car’s worst enemy. These holes or pits on a road’s surface can seriously damage a vehicle’s ride-control system. Hit one hard, especially when turning a corner, and it can be like taking a sledgehammer to your car’s suspension.
If you do drive over a pothole, the parts that can be damaged are the shock absorbers (shocks) and/or struts, both of which control how the vehicle rides and handles. Their job is to act as a cushion to dampen the bouncing action of the car’s springs; without them, the vehicle would continually bounce and bound down the road, making driving extremely difficult.
Rodney Bass was refused compensation in 2011 after his Jaguar broke an exhaust bracket when he hit one of Essex’s many potholes. The irony is – he is himself Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation at Essex County Council!
The shocks and struts also control suspension movement to keep the tires in contact with the road. A broken shock or strut will affect steering, stability and braking, so it’s important to be aware of the warning signs that your car’s shocks or struts may have been damaged by hitting a pothole:
- The vehicle rolls or sways on turns.
- The vehicle’s front-end dives when braking.
- The vehicle’s rear end squats when accelerating.
- The vehicle bounces or slides sideways on a winding, rough road.
- The vehicle “bottoms out” or thumps on bumps.
- The vehicle sits lower in the front or rear.
- There are signs of fluid leakage on the shocks or struts.
- There’s a loss of directional control during sudden stops of the vehicle.
Bring your car to Triggs and have it inspected if you experience any of the above signs after an encounter with a pothole; shock absorbers have a limited lifespan anyway, usually 50-60,000 miles, so it may be worth having them replaced even if they’re undamaged.
If you feel your car has been damaged by a pothole and wish to make a claim from Essex County Council, rules state if a road defect has been drawn to the council’s attention, is classed as severe, and has not been repaired, a claim for compensation can be made for any damage caused.