{"id":564,"date":"2020-11-18T15:10:01","date_gmt":"2020-11-18T15:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/?p=564"},"modified":"2024-09-23T10:36:41","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T09:36:41","slug":"what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do if you hit a pothole"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Guidance for what motorists should do if they hit a large pothole on UK roads has been released by specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Driving experts from car leasing giants <a href=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/\">LeaseCar.uk<\/a> have urged vehicle owners to prioritise safety, highlighted the contact details for reporting potholes and revealed how to recoup repair bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"302\" height=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image-29.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image-29.png 302w, https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image-29-250x188.png 250w, https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image-29-120x90.png 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Driving over a major crack in the road surface could jolt a vehicle\u2019s suspension and wheels, puncture tyres, or even cause a crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To minimise the potential damage from hitting a pothole, drivers should try to reduce their speed gradually before impact when it\u2019s unsafe to steer clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A spokesperson for <a href=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/\">LeaseCar.uk<\/a> said: \u201cPotholes can be infuriating, dangerous and leave unfortunate drivers facing significant repair bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s often impossible to avoid them without dangerously swerving, so our best advice is to try to reduce your speed before hitting one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCheck your tyres, suspension and bodywork for damage as soon as you can find a safe place to pull over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou should also remember to report the pothole to the relevant authority and gather evidence to help reclaim costs if you think repairs are required.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the <a href=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/\">LeaseCar.uk<\/a> advice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><strong>Stop as soon as possible in a safe location<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you hit a pothole hard but your car can keep moving, find a safe place to pull over before assessing the impact \u2013 don\u2019t stop in a live motorway lane or on the hard shoulder, if you can make it to the next junction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to get off main roads in urban areas, into a residential or commercial parking space if possible, and avoid narrow stretches of road, blind bends and hills in the countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drivers who suspect damage to their vehicle after hitting a pothole should then carefully inspect their tyres, all around the wheels, the suspension, bodywork, under the bonnet, and generally across their vehicle for any dislodged parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Report the pothole so it can be fixed<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For problems on motorways or major \u2018A\u2019 roads, contact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>England <\/strong>\u2013 Highways England: 0300 123 5000 or <a href=\"mailto:info@highwaysengland.co.uk\">info@highwaysengland.co.uk<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Northern Ireland<\/strong> (for all potholes) \u2013 Department for Infrastructure: 0289 054 0540 or <a href=\"mailto:info@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk\">info@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scotland<\/strong> \u2013 Traffic Scotland: 0800 028 1414 or <a href=\"mailto:info@trafficscotland.org\">info@trafficscotland.org<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wales<\/strong> \u2013 Traffic Wales: 0300 123 1213 or <a href=\"mailto:contact@traffic-wales.com\">contact@traffic-wales.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On all other public roads in England (except Transport for London\u2019s red routes), Scotland and Wales, the local council are responsible for maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same authority should be sent any claim for reimbursement of repair bills \u2013 most have a process that can be as simple as filling out a form online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Gather plenty of evidence<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Photographs add detail to support claims for damages \u2013 close ups of the damage to your vehicle and road, and shots from further away to pinpoint the pothole\u2019s location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take measurements of a pothole\u2019s depth, length and width, and it\u2019s position in the road, too \u2013 use a precise ruler or tape measure, or consistently sized objects to hand like coins or food and drink packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it\u2019s more than 40mm (two x 20p\u2019s) deep or 300mm wide, your chances of a pay-out are higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other things to make a note of at the scene include time and date, your speed, traffic and weather conditions, witness details and a brief description or diagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember to put your safety first though \u2013 don\u2019t take risks like stepping out into traffic or trespassing on a motorway to gather evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keep receipts but be prepared for rejection<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s vital to get two copies of an itemised repair bill for parts and labour, including time, date and a note from the mechanic if possible to confirm a pothole as the cause of the damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Car owners shoud still shop around \u2013 you\u2019re more likely to get repairs reimbursed by the relevant authority if you haven\u2019t payed over the odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent research by <a href=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/\">LeaseCar.uk<\/a> revealed that councils compensated motorists to the tune of over \u00a33,500,500 for poorly maintained roads in England alone during 2018-19: <a href=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/which-location-is-the-pothole-capital-of-the-uk\/\">https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/which-location-is-the-pothole-capital-of-the-uk\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the relevant authorities don\u2019t accept every claim and won\u2019t pay for repair bills if there\u2019s nothing they think they could\u2019ve done about it \u2013 this includes very recent and unreported potholes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drivers who then wish to pursue the matter need to prove the relevant authority didn\u2019t have an adequate inspection and repair process in place or take reasonable care of the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A freedom of information request may be necessary, but be careful of incurring legal fees if you go to small claims court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Guidance for what motorists should do if they hit a large pothole on UK roads has been released by specialists. Driving experts from car leasing giants LeaseCar.uk have urged vehicle owners to prioritise safety, highlighted the contact details for reporting potholes and revealed how to recoup repair bills. Driving over a major crack in the&#8230;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What to do if you hit a pothole - Leasecar Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The motoring experts at LeaseCar UK detail what to do when you hit a pothole to maximise your safety and minimise costs.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to do if you hit a pothole - Leasecar Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The motoring experts at LeaseCar UK detail what to do when you hit a pothole to maximise your safety and minimise costs.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Leasecar Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeaseCarUK\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-18T15:10:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-23T09:36:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image-29.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"302\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"227\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"LeaseCar\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"LeaseCar\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"LeaseCar\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/86fe7443824b76da68bbb839cd7b5fe6\"},\"headline\":\"What to do if you hit a pothole\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-18T15:10:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-23T09:36:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\"},\"wordCount\":758,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Press Releases\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\",\"name\":\"What to do if you hit a pothole - Leasecar Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-18T15:10:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-23T09:36:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"The motoring experts at LeaseCar UK detail what to do when you hit a pothole to maximise your safety and minimise costs.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What to do if you hit a pothole\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Leasecar Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"LeaseCar.uk\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/lease-car-logo-lrg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/lease-car-logo-lrg.png\",\"width\":5767,\"height\":1226,\"caption\":\"LeaseCar.uk\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeaseCarUK\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/86fe7443824b76da68bbb839cd7b5fe6\",\"name\":\"LeaseCar\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/153691ea6a63e21766e3517b10dc4e96?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/153691ea6a63e21766e3517b10dc4e96?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"LeaseCar\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What to do if you hit a pothole - Leasecar Blog","description":"The motoring experts at LeaseCar UK detail what to do when you hit a pothole to maximise your safety and minimise costs.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"What to do if you hit a pothole - Leasecar Blog","og_description":"The motoring experts at LeaseCar UK detail what to do when you hit a pothole to maximise your safety and minimise costs.","og_url":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/","og_site_name":"Leasecar Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeaseCarUK\/","article_published_time":"2020-11-18T15:10:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-23T09:36:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":302,"height":227,"url":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image-29.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"LeaseCar","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"LeaseCar","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/"},"author":{"name":"LeaseCar","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/86fe7443824b76da68bbb839cd7b5fe6"},"headline":"What to do if you hit a pothole","datePublished":"2020-11-18T15:10:01+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-23T09:36:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/"},"wordCount":758,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Press Releases"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/","url":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/","name":"What to do if you hit a pothole - Leasecar Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-11-18T15:10:01+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-23T09:36:41+00:00","description":"The motoring experts at LeaseCar UK detail what to do when you hit a pothole to maximise your safety and minimise costs.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-hit-a-pothole\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What to do if you hit a pothole"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/","name":"Leasecar Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#organization","name":"LeaseCar.uk","url":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/lease-car-logo-lrg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/lease-car-logo-lrg.png","width":5767,"height":1226,"caption":"LeaseCar.uk"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeaseCarUK\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/86fe7443824b76da68bbb839cd7b5fe6","name":"LeaseCar","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/153691ea6a63e21766e3517b10dc4e96?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/153691ea6a63e21766e3517b10dc4e96?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"LeaseCar"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=564"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1227,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564\/revisions\/1227"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leasecar.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}