NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)– AAA says that this year could be bad for potholes. You may already be noticing them.
The good news is that potholes are sign of spring. But the bad news, of course, is all the damage they can do to your car.
At this time of year you’ll be seeing them on highways, secondary roads and parking lots. The damage to your car can get expensive. Potholes cost drivers about $3 billion per year.
“Potholes occur because of the thawing, freezing, thawing cycle,” said Fran Mayko of AAA Northeast. “Sometimes municipalities can’t keep on top of them because of the number.”
Milford has been trying. Since the winter weather has been mild until recently, crews say their job has been a little bit easier.
“We have our asphalt recycling machine that’s running every day almost so that our new hot patch goes out,” said Chris Saley, Director of Public Works for the City of Milford. “The guys get out and do a good job trying to get it repaired.”
Potholes can lead to tire punctures and wheel damage, even suspension damage. However, there are steps you can take to prevent pothole related problems when you’re out on the roads:
-Look well ahead of the front of your car as you are driving and scan the road. That way you will have more time to react.
-Slow down. If you can’t avoid a pothole you will do less damage to your car if you are going slower. Taking your foot off the brake right before you hit a pothole will also reduce damage to your vehicle.
-Be careful of puddles. They can hide deep potholes.
If you hit a pothole:
– Check your alignment. Hitting a pothole can affect steering and your car can start pulling to one side.
– Listen for noises or vibrations that weren’t there before. Those can be a sign of damage to your wheels, tires or suspension.
– Take a good look at your tires. Make sure they don’t have any tears or other damage. Don’t forget to check the tire pressure.
If you hit a pothole, many cities and towns want to hear about it.
“You can go on our city website and make a formal complaint and it goes right into our webserver,” said Saley. “We get all that information.”
If you hit a pothole on a state road and it damages your car you may be able to file a claim against the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Use this link to file a claim:
http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=1380&Q=270634
You can report potholes on state roads here: http://www.dotdata.ct.gov/contacts/ContactUs.aspx
