Drivers can report potholes by going to the gov.uk/ report-pothole webpage and typing in the relevant postcode. This will lead you to the correct Council’s website where you can enter the pothole location.

In England, Motorways and major ‘A’ roads are usually managed by Highways England and the website will give you links to them. You can also find the forms there to make a claim, but it can be a long haul. You will have to prove negligence. That means that you will need to prove that the organisation responsible for the road have not kept to their statutory duty of care.

Essex County Council for example, says that first you will need to provide evidence that, at the time of the incident, a defect existed on the road. You will then need to show that it was a defect that would be considered to be dangerous, that the defect was the direct cause of the incident or injury, and that you have suffered a loss. If the above can be proven, they will then consider if the existence of the defect was as a result of their failure to adhere to their statutory duties.

Of course, driving with due care and attention will lessen the risk of going through a pothole. But there are times when it becomes more difficult, such as in the dark, when there’s standing water on the road, or where swerving to avoid a pothole could put you in even more danger.