(Media release from AAA – The Auto Club Group):
AAA is issuing a warning for drivers to watch for potholes in Georgia. A new AAA survey found that the number of drivers who sustained vehicle damage from a pothole requiring a repair soared 57% from the previous year.
“Potholes can wreak havoc on your vehicle,” said Montrae Waiters, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Driving over one of these can cost you hundreds of dollars in repairs. So be sure to keep a look out for these hazardous holes in the roads and be safe when driving around them.”
In 2022, an estimated 44 million U.S. drivers were hit with pothole repair bills – up from 28 million in 2021. The average price tag was $406 per repair. And if being victimized by a pothole once isn’t enough, drivers often end up with an average of two pothole-related repairs per year.
Cracked and crumbling pavement is the perfect environment for potholes to form. Moisture collects in these crevices and, as temperatures fluctuate, they expand and contract due to freezing and thawing. This breaks up the pavement and, combined with the weight of passing cars and trucks, eventually results in a pothole. These concrete craters can wreak havoc on a vehicle’s tires, alignment, suspension, and shocks.
In the winter and spring of 2022, AAA responded to 1.9 million tire-related roadside assistance calls across the United States. This number represented 12 percent of the total calls received in the winter and spring last year, though AAA does not delineate whether these roadside assistance requests all stem from pothole damage.
Avoiding Damage
While potholes are a reality for many drivers, sustaining vehicle damage does not have to be. AAA recommends the following:
Check Your Tires, which includes tread depth, tire pressure, suspension, and alignment.
- Tread depth– insert a quarter into the tread groove with Washington’s head upside down. If you can see the top of Washington’s head, start shopping for new tires.
- Tire pressure– check this at least once a month using a quality gauge. Do so before driving when tires have been at rest and are not hot. Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended inflation pressure found on a sticker inside the driver’s side door.
- Suspension and Alignment– look for changes in vehicle handling, excessive vibration, or uneven wearing of tires, all indications of a problem with the suspension like alignment or shocks. If your vehicle pulls to the left or right, have the wheel alignment checked by a trusted mechanic.
Keep Your Eyes on the Road, an alert and cautious driver is less likely to hit a pothole.
- Scan the road ahead for potholes, and if it’s safe to do so, drive around any in your path.
- Increase your following distance so you can see potholes as they appear from under vehicles ahead of you.
- Avoid driving through standing water when possible. Standing water or puddles may disguise a deep pothole. If you can’t avoid the area, drive through slowly and treat it as though there may be a pothole hiding beneath the water.
- If you can’t avoid hitting a pothole, safely reduce your speed and avoid braking abruptly, particularly as you go over the pothole. Striking a pothole at higher speeds increases the chance of severe damage including knocking the wheels out of alignment, affecting the steering, and bending or even breaking suspension components.
- If you hit a pothole, pay attention to any new or unusual noises or vibrations. If you detect something is off with your vehicle, take it to a trusted repair facility for a full vehicle inspection as soon as possible.
