Though the icy weather and treacherous road conditions are absorbing the attention of Northern Ireland's motorists at the moment, car insurance experts have warned drivers of another consequence of the big chill. They anticipate a rise in the number of motor insurance claims made as a result of potholes which are brought on by the weather and can cause considerable damage to vehicles.

Mark Monteiro from uSwitch.com notes that potholes "are a major cause of axle and suspension failure", accounting for a third of all mechanical issues on UK roads. Furthermore, he says, the cost of car insurance premiums is already going up at the fastest rate for ten years.

He recommends that Northern Ireland car insurance customers who do run into problems because of adverse road surface conditions take a photo of the pothole, the damage to their vehicle and the surrounding area (to prove there were no warning signs or cones).

Reporting the damaged road to local highways officials is also suggested, since they'll accept compensation claims to cover repair costs – an avenue deemed a better way of re-couping cash for motorists concerned about submitting a car insurance claim and losing their no claims bonus.