Scotland worst for pothole damage

Andy Benny says this pothole in Straiton is seven inches deep

Your pothole tales and nightmares

Scotland and northern England have the bumpiest roads in Britain, according to an insurer.

A study of claims for axle or suspension damage found 14% of cars in Ayrshire fell victim to potholes in any given year.

Five of the 10 worst-rated areas were in Scotland while four were in northern England.

Warranty Direct said pothole damage was costing UK drivers £413m a year, or £1.1m each day.

Andy Benny lives in Straiton in Ayrshire.

He told BBC Radio Scotland residents have just had to learn to deal with the potholes - one in particular which was seven inches deep.

He said: "Obviously to steer around it I would have to drive on the opposite side of the road.

"Either that or drive up and down the pavement because there's no way on this earth you can miss it.

"If there's something coming towards you it's 'hey ho, away we go'.

"Now the people in the village know where the potholes are, because they have been here so long. So what we try to do is avoid them."

Within hours of Mr Benny speaking to BBC Scotland, that particular hole had been repaired, but he said there are plenty of others.

Warranty Direct managing director Duncan McLure Fisher said there was a clear "north-south divide" in claim rates.

SUSPENSION FAILURE INSURANCE CLAIM RATES

Ayrshire - 14.05% of all cars

Northumberland - 13.84%

Renfrewshire - 13.58%

Angus - 13.36%

County Durham - 13.07%

Aberdeenshire - 11.6%

North Yorkshire - 11.21%

Warwickshire - 10.56%

Lanarkshire - 10.48%

Tyne and Wear - 10.23%

"Either continuous driving over cracked or uneven road surfaces, or the sudden jolting of a deep pothole, can cause damage to shock absorbers, springs, upper and lower arms and stabiliser bars," he said.

"This appears to be happening more in Scotland than anywhere else.

"Whether this is due to colder weather causing more northern roads to crack or just poor maintenance, it seems to underline a clear difference in the condition of highways across the country."

The lowest claim rate was in Oxfordshire where only 4% of cars suffered similar failures.

The average claim for repairs was £240, but some damage cost £2,710 to put right.