Article: published on 24 August 2026
Consumer champ Matt Allwright
Pothole damage: What to do if your car is hit
- Published
Potholes can damage cars, bikes and tyres, but drivers and cyclists are not always sure what to do when they hit one.
Consumer champ Matt Allwright joined BBC Morning Live to explain how potholes form, how to report them, and what evidence you need if you want to make a claim for damage.
Why do potholes form?
Potholes can form when water gets into cracks in the road surface. When temperatures drop, the water can freeze and expand, putting pressure on the road.
As vehicles continue to drive over the weakened surface, the road can break up and the hole can become bigger.
Adverse weather, repeated freezing and thawing, and wet and dry cycles can all make the problem worse.
What should you do if your vehicle is damaged?
If your car, van, motorbike or bicycle has been damaged by a pothole, collect as much evidence as you can.
Make a note of exactly where the pothole is, including the road name, direction of travel and nearby landmarks.
Take photos of the pothole if it is safe to do so. Try to show its depth, width and position in the road.
You should also take photos of any damage caused to your vehicle or bike.
If you need urgent repairs, keep all receipts. If the repair is not urgent, get a written quote.
It is also worth asking the garage for a report which explains the damage and says whether it is consistent with hitting a pothole.
Reporting a pothole can help the authorities arrange repairs. It can also help other road users, because there will be a record of the problem.
How do you make a claim?
GOV.UK says you may be able to claim compensation if your vehicle has been damaged by a road.
The organisation you contact depends on where the road is and what type of road it is.
Local roads are usually handled by the local council. Major roads and motorways may be handled by a national highways agency.
Report the pothole first, then check the relevant authority's claims process.
You may be asked to provide photos, repair receipts, a garage report, the location of the pothole and details of what happened.
If your claim is rejected, do not assume that is the end of it. Check the reason carefully, ask what evidence was used, and consider whether you have more information to support your claim.
Should you report a pothole even if you have not hit it?
Reporting a pothole can help the council or highways authority arrange repairs.
It can also help other road users, because there will be a record of the problem.
Cycling UK says councils can only fill a pothole if they know about it.
If you are reporting a pothole, give the clearest location you can. This could include the road name, nearest junction, nearby house number, landmark, or a precise location from a mapping app.
You can also use What3words to identify the location. The app divides the world into three-metre squares and gives each square a unique set of three words.
Should you try and fix a pothole yourself?
No. If you see a pothole, report it rather than trying to repair it yourself.
You may feel you are helping, but road repairs need to be done safely and properly by the right authority.
If someone later damages their vehicle or injures themselves because of an attempted repair, it could create legal and safety problems.
The safest option is to report the pothole with clear evidence, so the council or highways authority can inspect it and arrange repairs.
