New data from the RAC shows that pothole compensation claims have increased by 91% in three years.

Claims nearly doubled from 27,731 in 2021 to 53,015 in 2024, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from 177 councils across England, Scotland and Wales.

Derbyshire County Council reported the sharpest increase in claims, rising from 224 in 2021 to 3,307 (up 3,083) in 2024, with Glasgow City Council taking second place with an increase from 1,140 in 2021 to 2,794 in 2024 (up 1,654). Oxfordshire County Council took third place, with claims jumping from 488 in 2021 to 1,941 in 2024 (up 1,453).

The RAC added, however, that there has been a small decrease in claims between 2023 and 2024. A total of 56,655 claims were received by all responding authorities in 2023, compared to figures from 2024.

Only 26% of claims were settled in 2024 (13,832 of 53,015). The RAC estimates this meant around £3.5m was paid out by councils in a single year, averaging around £390 per claim. Despite this payout, the average repair cost for car owners affected by potholes comes to £590, leaving drivers out of pocket.

Of the councils that shared data for their 2024 pothole compensation claims, 97% (172) refused over 90% of the claims they received. Based on the FOI data, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Medway, Carmarthenshire and Telford all denied 99% of claims in 2024.

RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: ‘Drivers are still suffering the consequences of years of neglect to Britain's local road network. But even if you submit a compensation claim, the odds aren't good, with around 40,000 requests for reimbursement turned down in 2024 alone.

‘We're now hopeful the dial will really begin to shift as highways authorities in England were this year given a record £1.6bn by the Government for road maintenance. And for the first time they've been required to show how much vital preventative maintenance they'll be carrying out to stop potholes forming in the first place.

‘So, while the figures we've analysed are a cause for concern, we hope pothole compensation claims will begin to decline as local authorities increase the amount of preventative surface dressing work on their roads.'