Potholes are an annoyance for motorists all over the world, often going unrepaired for a long time and causing shock to you and potentially damaging your vehicle when you unexpectedly drive over one. If you do discover a pothole, whether you see it when walking or you are unfortunate enough to discover one by accident when driving, there is a certain process you must go through in order to report it to the relevant authorities.

Potholes are estimated to be the cause of approximately 1 in 10 mechanical failures that are suffered on UK roads, and the combined cost of fixing these failures is in the region of £730 million. The main problem that is caused by potholes is damage to suspension and axles, which can be very costly to fix, not just to drivers either – these incidents also cost authorities £30 million in compensation claims.

Local councils have a duty to maintain the roads, to keep them safe for drivers and pedestrians, but if they are not informed of potholes and similar issues then there isn’t much they can do about it. There are different ways you can file a report to your local authority about a pothole, for example visiting www.gov.uk/report-pothole. On this page you enter your postcode or the postcode of where you have seen the pothole, and you will then be redirected to the relevant website for reporting the pothole to your local council.

Once you have reported the pothole to your authority, they then have a responsibility to act on your report and have the pothole repaired as soon as possible. It is estimated that road maintenance services in England and Wales are underfunded by around 55%, or £1 billion. There is a backlog in England that would take 12 years to catch up with if the road maintenance services were given all their funding today, and a backlog in Wales that would take 14 years to catch up with.

Potholes litter roads across the country, and they can be considerably dangerous, particularly on roads where high speeds are allowed. If you discover a pothole, taking the small amount of time to report it to your local authority can help prevent other vehicles being damaged by these nuisances.

Here at UK Surfacings Ltd, we are proud to offer our expertise in repairing damaged roads, whether the problem is potholes or wear and tear from road use or bad weather. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, we have developed a service that is efficient and professional in equal measure, so you can be sure that you are in the best possible hands should you need any road repairs. To find out more, get in touch with us today!