Driver despair as potholes cost us £68m

SCOTLAND’S pothole damage bill has soared by a fifth to £68m in just 12 months – with one in four drivers saying they hit at least one pothole every day.

Analysis by car servicing company Kwik Fit found the average repair from pothole damage costs each affected Scottish driver £105.90.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “The poor condition of the road network is hitting motorists’ wallets ever harder.

“Unfortunately, experience of past years has shown us that the recent cold weather will only make the problem worse and we are likely to see even more drivers suffering serious damage from impacts with potholes.”

Potholes caused £68.6m worth of damage to cars north of the Border over the last year, according to Kwik Fit. That figure was £56.8 million two years ago.

The firm’s survey found more than half of Scottish drivers had hit a pothole because swerving to avoid it would have been dangerous.

It comes as research from the Liberal Democrats reveals that local authorities have paid out more than £1.1m in compensation for damage caused by potholes since over the past five years.

Lib Dem transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles said: “These figures are an insight into the damage caused by Scotland’s crumbling roads.

“I expect many more people will have simply forked out for repairs out of their own pocket.

“It is easy to see the state of disrepair our roads are currently in.”