Potholes: Nature’s Way Of Testing Your Suspension

MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – You may have the luck of the Irish if you’ve never experienced a flat tire after rolling over a pothole, it’s the season for them.

The volatile ups and downs Wisconsin temperatures go through in Spring can make anyone dizzy, it’s a rollercoaster ride. So no wonder it tears up the streets. 

Potholes are made primarily from water seeping into the pavement and weakening the soil underneath it. This issue is exacerbated by the freeze-thaw cycle. Then heavy traffic adds to the wear and tear, accelerating the creation. And as asphalt ages, it cracks even easier and allows more water underneath it.

So let’s break it down… 

Potholes begin as tiny cracks and can expand from just a few inches deep and wide to be anywhere to a few feet wide and many inches deep, especially if they are not fixed fast.

Potholes can show up on all types of roads, even in the south. Water truly has a way of eroding road surfaces under any climate conditions.

Here for us right now, with the warm days and below freezing nights. As the snow melts and the rain falls, the groundwater expands and contracts, causing potholes to be quite persistent. 

Think of it this way, when you’re at home making ice cubes… you fill a water-filled tray, place it in the freezer, take it out later, you’ll see that the water has expanded. Right? Well this is exactly what happens when water goes beneath the pavement. 

It freezes, it expands, starts bending, and cracking the road. When the frozen water melts, it leaves voids or gaps in the surface under it, which isn’t good either. Then we toss the weight of cars and trucks on top of that…  it deteriorates. So expect them.

Now any driver who spots a pothole can report it to their county’s highway department. And of course, more and more crews are to be expected to be out making repairs. So drivers need to be on the lookout for them, slow down and move over if you see crews.

Hitting a pothole can cause immediate and costly damage to a vehicle’s tires, wheels, suspension, and alignment. The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that potholes cost U.S. drivers $3 billion annually in vehicle repairs. 

If your car does get damaged from a pothole, the state or county is not liable for your damages. You’ll have to get a hold of your insurance company for that.

Always concentrate while driving, scan the road so you can spot a hole. Don’t follow other cars too closely, especially on a rough road. Pay attention to water melting from a snowbank, because that can make it nearly impossible to see how deep and damaging the pothole really is.

So now you know, the tug-o-war of temperatures doesn’t only make us confused on what to wear each day but also starts to ruin our streets.