Heres a quote from Expatman on the mk4 forum
"Road surfaces are about to get worse! Rural local authorities have had there funding for pothole repairs slashed for 2022/23 while £5bn has been allocated to urban and cities, inevitably more cycle lanes and no-go for motorists roads while rural roads revert to farm tracks and pot-holed nightmares. "
I have driven a lot in Eastern europe where the potholes can be much worse - although things have improved there considerably in recent years . Here are a few tips I learned the hard way
1) avoid going in one if you can , even if it means waiting and using the 'wrong' side of the road. There is usually a reasonable path through them.
On a positive note, if potholes become more frequent, you are more likely to look out for them and drive appropriately . Its the occasional unexpected one thats more likely to catch you out.
2) If you must go into it do it VERY slowly . Kinetic energy increases by the square of velocity. If you go through a pothole at 10 mph instead of 5 mph the impact on tyre, and suspension is not, as you might expect twice as bad . its 4 times as bad.
3) Never assume that a car with bigger wheels or a quiet luxurious ride is better able to absorb pot holes. A landrover with big wheels and rugged build may be able to ride more easily over some small holes. But complacency may lead to ignoring them. Sooner or later the extra speed and weight of the vehicle will result in a destructive impact that will damage even rugged construction. And repair bills will be higher. And many 4x4's ,suv's etc are little more than standard cars with a bit of extra ground clearance. No help with destructive potholes in Tarmac.
4) avoid the sharp edges along the sides of some holes that can slice into vulnerable tyre walls. (inner walls as well as outer walls) It can be better to enter deliberately into the centre of the hole (slowly) than to hope you have missed it and damage a side wall
5) Potholes are more likely in the shade of trees etc where its colder . Also they are not so easy to spot due to dappled sun and shade. Freezing weather makes them bigger and more frequent.
6) beware of water filled potholes. they may be very deep.
7) beware of following vehicles too closely, especially buses and trucks. These may hide an approaching pothole, which will arrive too suddenly for you to avoid. The truck my miss it, you might not. Been there ,done that (once ) .
8 ) carry a full sized spare if you can and hope the same hole doesnt take out 2 tyres.
9) tell the council. I think some have pothole watch web sites where you can enter details. Whether they do anything is another matter.
