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SIX IN 10 Irish people have had their chosen mode of transport damaged as a result of striking a pothole, according to research.
Some 62.66% of 5,000 people surveyed said that damage had been caused to their car, motorbike or bike as a result of moving over an unrepaired pothole.
In the case of motorists, tyre damage was the most likely fallout of a run-in with a poorly maintained road.
Of those who had their car damaged by a pothole, 58.67% reported that one or more of their tyres had been punctured, with 41.40% stating that the wheel rim has also been damaged. Meanwhile, almost one in 5 people (18.11%) stated that their car’s suspension was damaged as a result of the incident.
Extreme weather
Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs at AA Ireland, which carried out the survey, said potholes have “long been a significant annoyance for road users in Ireland”.
He said the extreme weather conditions experience earlier this year had an impact in this regard.
In the immediate aftermath of the snow and Storm Emma, we received a notable increase in breakdown callouts relating to potholes and while efforts to repair affected roads are ongoing, there is still a great deal of work to be done.
Faughnan advised road users, particularly motorists, to “slow down when driving on a road which shows signs of being poorly maintained so as to minimise the damage if you do strike a pothole”.
The vast majority of those surveyed had to cover the costs of the damage themselves, with less than 1% receiving any form of compensation. Just 0.63% of respondents stated that the costs of repairs were covered by the relevant local authority, while only 0.31% made a claim against their insurance to cover the costs.
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“We urge drivers to slow down”
We as driver urge you to fix the roads which account for a lot of accidents
@Jalbeardzi, The Typo Pirate Yaarrrr:
maybe you’re both correct…
@Tim Pot:
No doubt but I have yet to see an advert or newspaper article say “We advise people to slow down partly due to poor road infrastructure” nope its just blame the drivers and never is it because they hit a pothole and lost control
@Jalbeardzi, The Typo Pirate Yaarrrr: The AA aren’t responsible for fixing roads.
And I’d say 10 out of 10 people have had their vehicle damaged from going through an NCT test. I’ve had my car in the garage twice from damaged suspension.
@Peter Cavey: Don’t know how a suspension could be damaged during an nct test unless there were already issues with it
@eddie horgan: the suspension test kills cars in the NCT
Hit a pothole once on the famous N17 & nearly needed mountain rescue to get out of it, in America it would be called the Grand Pothole with helicopter spins, abseiling and during damp weather, canoeing.
Car damage alloy & tyre that Motorists should sue council county for neglect leave potholes cos people pay tax road every year money where go ??
@Brian Flavin: it goes to irish water
@Brian Flavin: I believe they can but you need to prove that the council knew about the pothole – in that it was reported to them.
@Brian Flavin: it’s motor tax you pay and it has nothing to do with paying for the roads. I heard it goes to Irish water.
The roads are paid for out of the general taxation pot.
@B9xiRspG: you correct
@B9xiRspG: Tell me it also took you 4 or 5 attempts to understand what he wrote.
@Brian Flavin: Irish water .. that’s where most of it goes
I reported the 3 big potholes along the quays at Arran Quay to the Dublin City Council (whose building is about 200m away) via their portal about 5 weeks ago now. Still no sign of a fix, so every day, the thousands of cyclists along the quays are forced to swerve out of the bike line to avoid hitting the potholes head on and potentially going over the handlebars. If anyone’s got a mate in the department, can you have a word…? (I’m dead serious, I’ve no clue what else to do)
@Ciarán Ó Fallúin: Those ones are pretty bad. Ormond Quay sinking a bit too.
Apparently if you get a can of bright yellow spray-paint and spray a large pen!s around a pothole it gits fixed fairly quick.
@Ciarán Ó Fallúin: cyclists in the cycle lane, aha ha ha ha ha ha ha, good one
@Boeing Lover: thousands of cyclists use the cycle lanes into Dublin city everyday. If you’re in Dublin and can’t see them I suggest you go to Specsavers.
@Ciarán Ó Fallúin: I’ve reported a few things like that to DCC, they never do anything, South Dublin County Council are just as bad, councils are another black hole where 100′s of million of taxpayers cash disappears with no real result, no value for money, corruption is pandemic is this country.
WHY do we pay tax on our Vehicles?Where does that money go…Tolls everywhere…Ask your TD.election coming soon….
@Dave Walsh: motor tax goes to Irsh water. No need to ask your TD. There’s you answer.
Just the one pothole?
We pay a lot of money for car tax we deserve better roads
@☘: No you don’t. You pay motor tax. There is no connection between the money you pay in motor tax and what gets spent on the roads. Money for the roads etc comes out of the central taxation coffers. Also, even if there was a direct link and the motor tax collected was spent on roads, it wouldn’t be enough. Motoring is massively subsidised by the general taxpayer.
If a vehicle has to have an NCT to be road worthy
Then why don’t the roads have one to be driven on !!!
People should refuse to pay road tax .Kerry should change its name to Pothole County . I travel 15 min to work everyday and the road is not fit for sheep .
@Donal Carey: just get rid of your car…then you’ll pay no motor tax.
@Michael Carolan: There no better in Louth
@Michael Carolan: and walk is it? Spoken like a true person with access to public transport.
Potholes? Some of them are bloody craters! I’m surprised more motorcyclists are not killed by being unable to avoid them! Patching them up is hardly any use it just makes the road more bumpy
Speed bumps are just as bad.
What is going on with the title?? “Had you…” ???
Why not just state 3 in 5?
Conor talking nonsense again. Oxygen thief.
I appreciate the detail in this article. Well written and too the point!
What the hell is road tax for them besides part of it is going to Irish water
have your say