It almost feels impossible to head out on the shortest of drives without being in fear of hitting a pothole.

They are the bane of motorists' lives and source of tyre destruction - when you spot one it is normally too late to do anything to dodge it.

We've all been there, driving along peacefully when suddenly you catch the glimpse of a huge pothole out the corner of your eye and before you know it your spine tingles in fear that you've got a puncture.

Potholes have the potential to cause a lot of damage to cars, puncturing tyres, axles and even causing crashes. So, what can you do if a poorly-maintained road ends up hitting you in the pocket?

As first reported on Bristol Post , this is a handy guide from Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis.

First of all - what is a pothole, technically?

A pothole is a road defect that causes an immediate risk or hazard, the Echo reports .

Money Saving Expert website states: “Potholes are usually caused by water seeping down into the road surface, then freezing and creating gaps that widen up into gaping holes in the road.

“According to many councils, in order to count as a pothole the hole must be at least 40mm deep - about the height of two 20p coins.

"If the one you hit wasn’t that deep you can still claim, but it could be tougher to get anything back.

“If your car’s been damaged by a problem in the road which isn’t a pothole - if you’ve hit a piece of loose pavement, for instance - you may still be able to claim by following the step-by-step system below.

"But your chances depend on how the road defect is categorised by the authority responsible.”

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has advice on what to do if your car hits a pothole

Proving it

The consumer website says: “Hitting a pothole normally causes damage to a car's tyres, wheels or axles, and you’ll often know immediately that something’s wrong (you’ll probably hear it).

“In order to claim for the damage, you’ll have to prove the pothole caused it - that the repairs you’re having to shell out for were specifically caused by your impact with the pothole.

"Your mechanic should be able to put this in writing for you.

“If your vehicle already had a problem, and the pothole made it worse, you can still claim but you won’t get the full repair costs back.”

Who is to blame?

Different authorities are responsible for maintaining certain types of road.

Advice from Money Saving Expert states after you have checked who to contact, you should ask if claim forms can be sent to you, or see if you can download them online.

It states: “You can claim if your vehicle’s damaged and the authority responsible for the road failed to properly maintain it

“Britain’s highway authorities and agencies are legally obliged to maintain roads to a safe standard. That includes fixing potholes.”

A pothole in Riverside Walk, Isleworth

Claiming

If your vehicle has been damaged and you feel the local council hasn’t maintained the roads correctly, the amount you can claim depends on the extent of the damage to your vehicle.

The website says typical car damage claims are between £300 and £500.

Some drivers who have claimed have successfully recouped the entire amount - in other cases, they have won part of the cost.

The website states: “There’s no explicit sentence in law which covers claiming for potholes, but there are laws which force authorities to keep the roads safe - and that’s what you’ll be claiming the authorities have failed to do.”

In England and Wales, the relevant legislation can be found in Parts 42-58 of the Highways Act 1980.

It adds: “For most pothole claims there’s a step-by-step procedure you can follow. But if your claim’s not successful, ultimately the last resort is to go to the small claims court.”

What will happen?

Initially you are likely to just get a confirmation of your claim. You might be passed on to a company that handles a council’s claims, which could result in a bit of a longer wait.

Usually it is about one month before a response is sent.

After that, one of three things will happen.

1. You will win and get the full costs sent to you.

2. You may get a partial offer. In this instance Money Saving Expert suggests you should ‘be willing to compromise’ because pursuing a claim through the courts can be very expensive.

3. Your claim is rejected.