Claims for damage to vehicles due to potholes is increasing. But why is this?
There are several reasons. Firstly, the number of potholes on UK roads has been steadily increasing in recent years, due to factors such as weather, aging infrastructure, and funding cuts. This has led to a rise in the number of vehicles being damaged by potholes, and subsequently, an increase in the number of claims being made.
Secondly, there has been a growing awareness among drivers of their right to claim compensation for pothole damage. The AA for example, are providing advice on how to claim, and with the rise of social media and online forums, drivers are more likely to share information about their experiences with potholes and the claims process. This has increased awareness and uptake of pothole claims.
Finally, the cost of vehicle repairs has risen by 40% from 2018 – 2022 so repairing vehicle damage caused by potholes is substantial, particularly for more serious damage such as bent wheels, damaged suspension, and punctured tyres. So, for many drivers, making a claim for compensation is the only way to recoup the costs.
Potholes on British roads.
Potholes are a common problem in Britain’s roads, particularly during the winter months when freezing temperatures can cause water to seep into cracks in the road surface, which then expands and contracts as it freezes and thaws, leading to the formation of potholes.
The issue of potholes has been a longstanding concern in the UK, with reports suggesting that the problem is costing drivers billions of pounds in repairs and causing significant damage to vehicles. According to recent estimates, there are around two million potholes on UK roads, and it would take over a decade to repair them all at the current rate of funding.
Local councils are responsible for maintaining the roads in their area, including repairing potholes. However, many councils are struggling to keep up with the demand for repairs, with limited budgets and competing demands on their resources.
So, managing pothole claims has become an increasingly frustrating and important issue for both drivers and local councils. It is important for local councils to manage claims in a fair and efficient manner, and ensure that potholes are repaired quickly and effectively to minimize the risk of damage to vehicles, and minimise the likelihood of multiple claims coming from a specific pothole.
Pothole claims management with ClaimControl.
ClaimControl is designed to streamline the claims management process and help organisations manage their claims more efficiently. With the rising number of pothole claims, this software can really help enable you to achieve more in less time. Here are some of the key benefits of using ClaimControl for pothole claims management:
Improved efficiency: ClaimControl claims management software can help automate many of the manual processes associated with claims management, such as data entry, document management, and communication with customers and stakeholders. This can reduce the time and effort required to process claims, improving overall efficiency.
Enhanced accuracy: The automated data entry and claim tracking features, mean that ClaimControl can help to reduce the risk of errors and ensure that claims are processed accurately.
Increased visibility/fraud detection: by providing real-time data, analytics, and reporting, ClaimControl can provide insight to carry out root cause analysis, fraud detection, and generally improve your visibility and identify anomalies. ClaimControl also integrates with the DVLA which can further assist with fraud detection. Additionally, when a photo is uploaded to the software, ClaimControl processes the meta data giving a location of the image and if there are any anomalies between the location of the claim and the location of the image this can flag as a possible fraudulent claim.
Geo location/integration with Google Maps: as above, this feature helps to authenticate a photograph of a particular pothole. The software will accurately pinpoint the photo to a specific location, and if the claim states one location, but the photo data reveals a different location then this can flag a potentially fraudulent claim. It also validates the date of the photo, so again, if a claim is made for a particular date, but the photograph’s date doesn’t match up, it will flag as a potential issue.
Clustering and hot-spotting: Clustering pothole claims based on location, severity, and other factors can help identify areas with high concentrations of potholes and identify patterns and trends. By clustering claims, crews can see hot-spots and prioritise repairs in areas with the most significant damage, ensuring critical infrastructure is addressed first. This can lead to quicker response times and improved road safety. Clustering can also help with resource allocation and can lead to cost savings and improved efficiency for councils.
Better communication: ClaimControl can improve communication between insurers, customers, internal staff, and other stakeholders involved in the claims process and issues relating to the potholes. For example, functionality can enable Highways to be able to view pothole claims, and their location and status in real-time. This can reduce misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is kept up to date on the status of each claim.
Cost savings: By reducing the time and effort required to process claims, and by being able to pinpoint pothole hot spots and make repairs quickly, ClaimControl will save you money.
In short, pothole claims management can be made more efficient with ClaimControl, saving time, money, minimising frustration and enhancing communication. The Geo location, Clustering and Hot-spotting functionality can enable repairs and maintenance to be focused on the most problematic areas improving road safety and minimising further claims. Local Authorities can direct their resource to the exact spots where the most claims are being made .
Alphatec’s main aim is to provide software SOLUTIONS that improve your processes, communication, and reduce the likelihood of data/communication silos, all of which can support better pothole claims management.
The best way to discover how our software can solve this frustrating issue is to request a demo.
We look forward to helping you.