How widespread is Gwent's pothole problem, and what do do if your vehicle is damaged by one

ONE thing they don't teach you when you're learning to drive is the importance of being aware of potholes.

Some are tiny and cause only a little bump as you go over them. But some are deceptively large and can cause some serious damage to your car or vehicle.

Figures uncovered by confused.com show, in the financial year 2017-2018, 1,842 potholes were reported to Newport City Council, adding up to a total depth of 74 metres - deep enough to stack 49 cars on top of each other. This cost the council £437,364 to fix, as well as £511 in compensation payouts for issues such as damage to vehicles.

The situation in Torfaen was worse, with 2,668 potholes reported, adding up to a total depth of 107 metres - the same as 71 cars. This cost the council £947,337 - almost £1 million - to fix - although just £282 was paid out in compensation.

Figures for the other Gwent local authorities were not available, but across Wales as a whole 24,793 potholes were reported over the year, which added together reaches a depth of 985 metres - 5.7 times deeper than the English Channel, and deep enough to 657 cars on top of each other.

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And the total amount of compensation paid out in Wales over 2017-2018 was £43,078.

Last year a Welsh Assembly committee report raised concerns over a lack of funding available to maintain Wales' roads.

Across the UK as a whole 905,172 portholes were reported over the year - almost 2,500 a day. All of them added together would reach a depth of 33.422 km - three times as deep as the Pacific Ocean and enough to stack 22,281 cars on top of each other. And the total compensation payout was £2.81 million.

Potholes are formed when water - usually rain - gets into cracks in the road, and freezes, expanding the crack. When the ice melts it leaves a pothole.

In Newport potholes can be reported via a tool on the council's website which allows you to indicate on a map exactly where the pothole is. It is available at www.newport.gov.uk/en/Transport-Streets/Road-Street-Maintenance/Report-A-Problem/Report-a-Pothole.aspx

And in Torfaen potholes can be reported via 01495 762 200 or calltorfaen.gov.uk - or on the council's mobile app.

A Torfaen council spokesman said: "The council carries out both a proactive and reactive system of inspection. We also carry out resurfacing works.

"For the proactive system, all adopted highways throughout the borough are inspected on a cyclical basis, be it 12 times, four times or twice per annum depending on the classification of the street in question.

"During these inspections professional officers will determine the condition of the carriageways and footways, and if necessary issue works orders to attend to any defects that meet the current criteria.

"In addition to this the inspectorate also look at the likelihood and severity of the risk should any defect look to be developing, and following on from this they will use their training and experience to determine if a repair is needed.

"On the reactive side, the inspectors receive complaints which come from the public etc, and the same process as above is followed through.

"The site is visited and a determination is made as to what works are required (if any) and the timescales on which they can be expected to be attended to. In severe circumstances the inspectors will remain on site to ensure the safety of all users of the highway, until emergency measures can be undertaken.

"With regards to resurfacing element, condition surveys are undertaken by senior officers and the data collected allows a judgement to be made on which roads would benefit most from resurfacing. There are a myriad of factors which influence this decision, but ultimately the resurfacing of any road would be the best mitigating factor when it comes to dealing with the issue of potholes."

In Monmouthshire potholes can be reported to the council on 01633 644644, via www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/potholes or on the My Monmouthshire app.

They can be reported anonymously, but signing in when reporting allows the repair to be tracked.

Meanwhile, potholes spotted in Caerphilly county borough can be reported to the council on 01495 866 533 or via 01443 875500 out of office hours. Potholes can also be reported online via www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Services/Roads-and-pavements/Report-an-issue/Potholes

A council spokesman said potholes are placed in one of three categories depending on seriousness and are repaired within two hours and 20 days.

He said: "Safety inspections of our entire network are carried out at regular frequencies that vary in accordance with the level of use and importance of the road or footway.

"We set our own standards for the frequency of highway safety inspections, which take into account national guidelines and the latest code of practice ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure’."

In Blaenau Gwent, potholes can be reported to the council on 01495 311 556, via www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/en/resident/highways-cleansing, or on the council's My Services app.

A spokesman said: "Blaenau Gwent Council has provided significant investment in its highways network in the last year and further investment is planned for 2019-20.

"The work is aimed primarily at improving the condition of residential roads and supports previous work which focused on strategic A, B and C highways. We also have a robust inspection regime to ensure that our highways are safe for road users."

He added: "Investments in strategic infrastructure, such as highways, will not only improve the quality of these roads for every day users in the community but also aid in enhancing opportunities for economic development, new inward investment and create a positive perception of visitors to or passing through the area.

"Creating an enhanced environment with infrastructure that benefits not only our local communities but also businesses and visitors to Blaenau Gwent is a key priority for the council and fully aligns with our wellbeing objectives."

Potholes anywhere in the UK can be reported via fixmystreet.com

So what do you do if your vehicle is damaged by a pothole?

First, gather evidence from the scene. Take photos of the pothole and the damage and – if it’s safe – measure the pothole itself. The exact time, date and location will also be needed for the claim – as well as details of any witnesses, if possible.

Next, report the pothole itself to the relevant authority and get the repair sorted – make sure to get a few quotes so you know you’re not paying over the odds, and keep all quotes and receipts.

Third, write to the relevant local authority with a full description of the incident – including the time, date and location – details of witnesses, pictures of the scene and damage if possible and copies of all receipts for repair work.

It is also important to direct the claim in the right direction. Although councils are responsible for most roads in their area, motorways and trunk roads are the responsibility of Traffic Wales. The claim will only be successful if the authority accepts it failed in its duty to maintain the road.

Following this, the authority will either accept the claim and refund the repair cost in full, offer a partial settlement, or reject it entirely. If you are unhappy with the decision it can be taken to small claims court – although this could be costly. The cost of repairs can also be claimed through car insurance policies, although this is likely to increase premiums and result in the loss of a no-claims bonus, and you will have to pay an excess.

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The confused.com research also found 34 per cent of drivers said their vehicles had been damaged by potholes - with 15 per cent of these incidents happening in February. The majority of the damage - 53 per cent - was to the vehicles' tyres, while 26 per cent said potholes had damaged their suspension, which can be costly to repair. But only 23 per cent have tried to claim compensation from the relevant local authority for damaged coasted by hitting a pothole, with most forking out to repair it themselves or not fixing it at all.

Meanwhile, 28 per cent said they had been in an accident or a near-miss due to a pothole, with 17 per cent saying they lost control after hitting it and 15 per cent saying it made their tyre burst.

Although , councils spent almost £193 million repairing potholes in 2017-2018 - about £169 per repair - 51 per cent said there were more potholes on the roads over the past year.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: “Re-claiming the costs for pothole damage can be confusing for drivers. Many don’t know if it’s best to claim from your insurer, or from the council. To help clear this confusion, drivers looking to claim for pothole damage can find all of the information they need to start the process in our guide.

“The number of potholes reported in the UK has increased by two per cent in the last year, and it’s a battle councils continue to fight. If motorists come across a pothole they should report it to their local authority before it gets any worse.”