Urgent warning to drivers as hitting a pothole can cost them a £10,000 fine
DRIVERS have been warned that hitting a pothole could cost them a £10,000 fine.
Potholes can puncture your tyres or bend or crack your wheel or even damage your car’s suspension.
By law, tyres must be roadworthy and if police find them in an illegal condition, the driver faces fines of up to £2,500 per tyre and three penalty points.
So four damaged tyres could mean a fine of £10,000 and 12 penalty points.
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The Highway code says: “Tyres must be correctly inflated to the vehicle manufacturer’s specification for the load being carried.
“Always refer to the vehicle handbook or data. Tyres should also be free from certain cuts and other defects.”
According to official data, more than 1.5 million potholes were reported on local roads between April 2018 and June 2021.
And it is spelling disaster for vehicles across the country, with new data from ClickMechanic showing increases of around 20% for quotes on suspension-related repairs since December.
Andrew Jervis, CEO of ClickMechanic, has warned motorists of the dangers they face when driving over a pothole.
He said: “Motorists up and down the UK are saying our roads have more potholes than usual this winter, and this poses a number of dangers.
“Hitting a pothole can create a range of problems for a vehicle, such as a punctured tyre, bent or cracked wheel and damaged suspension.
“The effect of a collision isn’t always immediately obvious and can take a little time to become obvious, so drivers could be hitting the road without even knowing there’s a problem.”
The legal tyre tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, according to law.
The tread must meet this minimum requirement across its complete circumference.
Potholes are a notorious menace to drivers during colder months but aren’t always noticeable until it’s too late, especially if filled in winter.
Research carried out by RAC found that 60% of drivers think there’re more potholes on the UK’s roads than last winter.
And drivers are urged to report potholes to their local government so that they can be fixed.
It’s possible to claim compensation if one damages your vehicle.
A British firm claims that can fix a pothole in eight minutes for £30 with a new machine.