Motorists told to ‘drive more carefully’ as councils ‘AREN’T responsible’ for pothole damage

MOTORISTS have been told by a top council boss to "drive more carefully" to avoid pothole damage.

Manchester City Council head, Sir Richard Leese, made the shocking comments on Thursday while also stating councils "aren't responsible" for drivers' actions.

The politician said drivers making claims for pothole compensation were draining council resources, preventing funds from being spent on road repairs.

Leese told : “The idea that councils have to take responsibility for every bit of people’s activity can’t be right - or the fact that council services, including the limited money we have to repair roads, should be put at risk.

“I’d say what people need to be doing is driving more carefully.”

The comments are likely to hit a sore spot with British motorists, as the nation's pothole epidemic is only getting worse.

Dodgy road surfaces cost drivers in the UK around £915million last year - an increase of £231million in just 12 months.

More than 24,000 miles of road across the country are affected by crumbling surfaces.

And the average cost to repair damage caused by uneven road surfaces sits at around £400, while some unlucky drivers have been forced to pay more than £3,500 to fix their car.

In some cases, motorists may be able to make a compensation claim to their local authority for pothole damage.

DEEP TROUBLE How to report pothole damage to the council – making a claim and your rights explained

Drivers with enough evidence to support their claim could potentially gain some form of compensation, but it's certainly not guaranteed.

If other councils adopt the same approach as Leese, motorists may find it very difficult to get their local authority to pay for any of their repair bill.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “The Council's comments are shocking but do contain an element of truth.

"Claims companies will take into account a driver's speed and knowledge of a road as well as the state of their tyres and vehicle before the incident.

"But it's so difficult to get any compensation that we don’t hear much about this. It’s basically a jungle out there on our roads now and drivers have to learn how to survive because it is clear we are not going to see much improvement in the number of potholes any time soon.

“What can you as a driver or rider do in the meantime? Observation: expect potholes and look out for clues such as lose chippings, puddles or places where lorries or buses turn or stop.

"Planning: if you see a pothole, report it to your local council as it will help get it fixed and that will make it easier for other drivers to make claims.