Shropshire Council paid out almost £170,000 in pothole claims in 2024

According to the RAC, Britain’s ‘pothole plague’ took even more of a toll on drivers in 2024 with pothole-relating breakdowns jumping by 17% during the final three months compared to the previous quarter.

Patrols went to the rescue of 4,709 drivers between October and December for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels – the call-outs most likely to be caused by wear and tear from defective road surfaces.

In the same winter period, almost four-in-10 breakdowns (39%) the RAC attended were a result of punctured tyres, due to potholes along with other factors like nails and screws. This , the RAC says, was the highest proportion of breakdowns caused by punctures in any quarter during 2024.

In Shropshire, the council recorded 38,505 potholes during 2024, with 35,850 being repaired. And it had to pay out £167,182 to motorists in compensation claims.

This, the local authority says, is based on data that is correct as of January 15, and excluded personal injury claims. It also only includes fully settled claims, with not all claims having reached a full conclusion.

“Shropshire Council has received additional funding for 2024/25 and this funding will be used to help mitigate the damage caused in recent winters,” said a Shropshire Council spokesperson.

“The response time for potholes is assessed by highway inspectors according to risk in accordance with our policy. This ensures that the most dangerous potholes are fixed most quickly.”

The spokesperson added that the funding allocated by the Department for Transport to repair roads in the county – reported to be £33.68m – will be carried out in accordance with the council’s Highway Assessment Managament Strategy.

“This states that we will prioritise investment according to the observed demand on the network,” said the spokesperson. "Demand can be user’s experience of the network (condition) or financial costs in fulfilling our statutory duties (risk).

“Investment shall be targeted where the money will give the greatest return. Minimising the whole life cost of constructing and treating carriageway assets will be a key consideration. Also, where major intervention is required, repairs will be sufficient for at least 10 years.”