61% of Irish people have had their vehicles damaged by potholes

Over 60% of Irish people have had their chosen mode of transport damaged as a result of striking a pothole according to recent research.

The figures were taken from an AA Car Insurance survey of over 7,000 people. The survey found that 61.28% of respondents said that damage had been caused to their car, motorbike or bike as a result of passing over a pothole. The vast majority of the damage came in the form of damaged tires or wheel rims. AA said the majority of people end up paying for these bills out of their own pocket but they may be entitled to compensation from the local authority. “As a result of high insurance costs, and a fear that making a claim for pothole damage could affect their renewal premium or their No Claims Bonus, many motorists are finding themselves digging into their own pockets to cover the cost of vehicle repairs following a run-in with a pot-hole," Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs said. "If you have such an incident, it may be worth contacting the local council with responsibility for the road in question as you may be entitled to compensation to cover the cost of repairs." “More broadly, however, if you come across a pothole it is worth reporting it to the local council even if you avoid any vehicle damage. A well-maintained road network is important in maintaining and improving our road safety record, and local councils can only attend to damaged roads where they are made aware of the issue,” Faughnan said.