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Poorly maintained roads causing significant damage to vehicles

The UK’s inadequate road surfaces are taking their toll on vehicles, with significant damage seen from as a result, according to Warranty Direct.

potholes

Warranty Direct says the bad conditions of UK roads are reflected in latest claims data.

The firm points to its latest claims data analysis from over 15,000 authorised claims over the last two years, which shows that over 20% of all claims – amounting to £876,690 – were for axle and suspension issues, which can often be caused by inadequate road surfaces.

The most common issues in terms of axle and suspension claims were shock absorbers and springs – components that are most commonly damaged by uneven road surfaces.

Other automotive parts commonly damaged by poor road surfaces are steering and braking systems, which were a major contributor to Warranty Direct’s claims in the last two years, totalling over £700,000 at an average cost of £407 per repair.

The Warranty Direct analysis follows the recent Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, which found that local authorities need over £12bn to bring the network up to scratch.

In response, Warranty Direct said motorists can help protect their cars from uneven road surfaces by checking tyre pressures regularly and avoiding both braking and sudden and aggressive steering if possible when driving over a pothole.For more of the latest industry news, click here.

For more of the latest industry news, click here.

Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.