HARTFORD, Connecticut — So far this winter we’ve had several snow days in Connecticut and when that water from melting snow and ice seeps beneath the road -we get the infamous pothole.
Nationwide drivers spend $3 billion dollars on pothole repairs on average per year, according to AAA.
“Hit a pothole one time that I thought I was going to have to climb out of, but luckily it didn’t do too much damage to the car, so now I’m just hoping the rest of the year won’t be too bad,” Hartford driver Brittany Strums said.
Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of water beneath the pavement, when that water freezes it expands causing cracks and making the ground weaker. So, the more cars that drive over that weakened part of the road--the bigger the pothole.
“Horrible to be driving around and having to encounter them all the time and sometimes it’s hard to avoid them,” driver Melissa Cordon said.
Auto shop owner Henry Roggi said you should prep your car by having the correct tire pressure and making sure your car is in good alignment.
“If you’ve been having a lot of issues with potholes and your car is starting to pull to the left or to the right, that’s the first sign you may need an alignment,” Roggi said.
According to AAA, drivers should make sure to check the road ahead for potholes, slow down if you cannot avoid the pothole, and listen for any new or unusual noises that appear after hitting a pothole, as it could break suspension components.
The worst is yet to come as pothole season tends to peak in the spring.
“We have more snow coming and with each snow and melt and rain and melt, it’s going to increase the problem,” AAA’s Amy Parmenter said. “So it’s really critical if people do hit a pothole that they don’t ignore the possible damage.”