POTHOLES in Buckinghamshire were ranked among worst in the country.

The state of the roads in Bucks earned it a place among counties with highest number of claims for pothole damage, new data of the last seven years by car insurer Admiral revealed.

More than a third, or 36 percent, of pothole-related claims happen between January and March, which is more than any other time of the year, the figures showed.

Pothole claims overall have increased by 34 percent since 2016.

Buckinghamshire was on ninth on the list after Oxfordshire, and ahead of Greater Manchester for the highest number of claimants between 2016 and 2022.

Leading the list with was Greater London, followed by Essex.

Head of claims at Admiral Lorna Connelly said potholes were “more than just an inconvenience, they can also cause costly damage to your vehicle.”

Pothole claims are 43 percent higher on average in January February and March “as road surfaces become unsettled by colder temperatures,” she said.

“Over the last seven years we’ve seen an average of over 700 pothole related claims a year. In years with extreme cold snaps we always see an increase, for example in 2018 when we had the Beast from the East, this increased to over 1,000 claims. We expect the thaw following the December cold snap will result in a spike in claims this year, too,” she continued.

Damaged road surfaces are dangerous to cyclists, Cycling UK campaigning group warned.

Potholes are formed when water seeps into an existing small crack and then freezes and expands in colder weather.

The figures come after Buckinghamshire Council warned road users of increased number of potholes and other road defects due to the combination of freezing conditions followed by wet weather so far this winter. 

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“This is exacerbated where road surfaces are already damaged, and especially through extensive use by HGVs, such as we are seeing in many parts of Buckinghamshire, most notably associated with construction works for HS2 and East West Rail.  As such, we are experiencing increased numbers of potholes and other related defects on the network and can expect this upward trend to continue over the next few weeks at least,” Bucks Council’s cabinet member for transport Steven Broadbent said on January 9.

The repairs are ideally long-lasting, but this isn’t always possible during very cold or wet weather, which is when temporary emergency repairs will be carried out, he added.