POLL OF THE DAY: Should councils be forced to pay compensation for pothole damage? – VOTE NOW

Today marks National Pothole Day, raising awareness of the problem on UK roads.

The campaign was established by pothole campaigner Mark Morrell – also known as Mr Pothole, who is retiring from his role.

The total cost of repairing vehicles damaged by potholes hit a record high last year, new figures show.

Common problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

The AA said the total cost of fixing vehicles it attended in the UK which had broken down because of poor road surfaces in 2024 was £579million.

That is compared with £474m during the previous 12 months and is the highest total on record.

Councils are routinely refusing to pay compensation for car damage caused by potholes, analysis by The Telegraph suggests.

Authorities in charge of roads received almost 66,000 claims from motorists in the three years to March 2024, but only paid out in approximately 10,000 cases.

This means that more than five in six claims made by motorists were rejected.

With that in mind, should councils be forced to pay compensation for pothole damage? Have your say by voting in the poll above.