The £3 million in compensation paid by Scottish councils to pothole victims has been made public

Health charities cautioned that injuries brought on by potholed roads can profoundly impact a person's life, and more than 1,000 personal injury claims from bicycles, pedestrians, and drivers had been resolved.

Driving and cycling organisations claim that potholes plague Scotland and that half of all drivers are concerned about the state of the roads.

According to Jim Densham, Cycling UK's campaigns and policy manager for Scotland, the scenario posed a real risk to cyclists and was likely to get worse.

He said: "Far too many roads across Scotland are covered in potholes, which poses a real risk to many. Hit a pothole when driving, and it could be an expensive trip to the garage, but if you're cycling, you could end up in the hospital or worse.

"Budget cuts to local authorities risk further underinvestment in local road maintenance and means already poor roads will only decline further.

"Local roads are essential for everyone, especially people cycling for short, local journeys, so they need to be prioritised and maintained."

According to data The Post obtained from 27 councils under the freedom of information act, there were 1,040 personal injury claims involving potholes and other defective road surfaces between 2017–18 and 2021–22, costing £3.3 million in total.

Glasgow City Council settled 82 claims for a total of £437,344 in compensation, making it the most expensive. Bicyclists' claims against Midlothian Council were resolved, and they received £49,474 in compensation. It paid £355,547 to resolve 63 allegations made by other road users. Over a five-year period, Dumfries and Galloway paid out £301,217 for injury claims related to road problems. 

Only one out of every six claims for damage brought on by potholes was rewarded by authorities last year, according to data obtained by the Scottish Conservatives earlier this month.