Halfords is today launching a completely free ‘Pothole Damage Check’ for all UK motorists.
The move is aimed at helping drivers check if their vehicle has been damaged if they drive through one of the estimated 11m potholes currently plaguing UK roads - without having to fork out for a garage appointment.
It is hoped the move may also help them gain compensation when attempting to make claims for such damage - just 18% of which are currently successful. The completely free test is available at over 600 locations nationwide.
In conjunction with the announcement, Karen Bellairs, Halfords’ Managing Director of Garages, is calling for the Labour Government to step up its current pledge of filling in 1m potholes a year, believing the figure, even if reached, will simply ‘plaster over the cracks’.
Potholes are now a huge issue on UK roads - new research* now estimates that there are over 11m potholes in the UK. Recent research** from Halfords showed that 27 percent of UK drivers said their vehicle has been damaged by a pothole in the previous 12 months alone, causing £718-worth of damage per vehicle on average - a staggering UK-wide total of £7.5bn per year.
The Pothole Damage Check will comprise of a thorough safety inspection by a qualified Halfords expert, covering elements such as damage to the tyres, wheels, suspension and wheel alignment. Customers will be given a report outlining any damage noted on the vehicle, which they can then submit to councils as part of any claim.
If a motorist’s vehicle is damaged as a result of a poorly maintained road they are entitled to claim compensation from those responsible for maintaining it - usually the local council.
However, a freedom of information request*** from Halfords has demonstrated that nationally, just 18% of claims to councils in the previous 12 months were successful in receiving any payout whatsoever. The brand hopes that by offering motorists a report on damage, the checks could help them claim compensation, when submitted alongside other evidence, such as images of the pothole and of the vehicle.
The service is being launched during the UK’s Tyre Safety month. While parts of a vehicle other than tyres can be damaged by potholes, they are the part of the vehicle that always makes contact with them and a specific risk. Already-damaged tyres - such as those with bulges or cracks - are at increased risk from contact with a pothole, and in some situations could even lead to a blow-out. But equally, tyres on perfect condition can be critically damaged by just one pothole.
Karen Bellairs, Halfords’ Managing Director of Garages said: “The UK’s roads are in a shocking state and drivers are hitting potholes more and more frequently. But we know that most hard-pressed motorists are not in a position to book their car into a garage every time they drive through one. Our new service will allow them to check, for free, if any damage has been caused - in most instances hopefully giving them peace of mind, without it hitting them in the wallet. If there is any damage, the accompanying report of any work completed may be able to assist them in gaining compensation.
“As the UK’s leading motoring retailer, we are doing our part. We are now calling on the Government to do theirs. They have pledged to fill one million potholes a year - but with 11 million potholes on our roads, and more appearing every day, this is simply going to plaster over the cracks.”
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