Your Vehicle’s Worst Enemy: Potholes

In this post, Tire Agent explains ... 

• How are potholes formed
• How to tell if a pothole damaged your car
• What to do if potholes damage your car
• Best curse words to use when you hit a pothole (just kidding) 

If you’ve driven in an area with snowy weather, chances are you’re familiar with those annoying potholes in the road that seem to show up at the worst times possible. But potholes can show up anywhere on any road, regardless of weather. So, it’s important for you to know how to react when hitting one to avoid vehicle damage or getting injured.

In this article, we’ll be talking all about potholes, so you can be as safe as possible while on the road.

How Do Potholes Form? What Causes Potholes?

Potholes are most commonly caused when water enters the ground beneath the road pavement and erodes the roadbed beneath, according to the Summit County, Ohio. The water creates small air pockets that will expand overtime if left unchecked, eventually causing the pavement above to collapse when there’s nothing below for it to sit on when vehicles drive over.

Winter weather can exacerbate this, as water expands when it’s frozen. If water finds its way beneath the road pavement, it will freeze and expand during the winter. When it’s thawing out, the water will melt, leaving a sizable air pocket where the ice used to be. If the temperature is fluctuating above and below freezing,  the ice will carve a larger and larger air pocket over time. This is why we tend to see potholes popping up the most during the spring!

Although potholes are the worst in areas that experience below-freezing temperatures, water can find its way beneath roads in any area and weather condition. All that water from rainfalls has to go somewhere, after all.

Should You Report Potholes? How and Where?

If you notice potholes along the roads you frequently travel, you may not know that you can actually do something about those pock-marked roads!  You’ll first need to find a way to identify the location of the pothole.

If you’re in an urban or suburban area, you can note the intersection or street address that the pothole is close to. On highways or rural roads, you can use the mile marker signs to identify the approximate location of the pothole. You should also note which direction you were traveling, so you know which side of the road the issue is on.

Whom to contact depends on where the pothole is. Within city limits, the respective local government is responsible for fixing and maintaining potholes. You’ll often find a pothole reporting option in the “contact” tab on the city’s website. You may need to call in rather than use an online form, depending on the size of the city.

If the pothole was on an interstate, you’ll need to contact the state’s department of transportation to fix the issue. Each state’s department has a different way to report issues on the road, so you’ll need to look through their “contact” tab to find a solution.

If you’re in a rural area and notice a pothole outside of city limits on a county road, it’s the county’s responsibility to fix it. You’ll need to contact the county website and find the correct form to fill out. If you’re unsure whether it’s a state or county issue, you can always report the issue to both, just to be safe.

Does Insurance Cover Pothole Damage?

The Insurance Information Institute states that if your auto insurance has collision coverage, the damage from hitting a pothole will be covered. Collision coverage counts as the damage caused from your car colliding with an object. In most cases, collision insurance will cover a bent rim or flat tire after hitting a pothole. 

Unfortunately, insurance will not cover the gradual wear and tear caused by frequent driving on bad roads.

Most collision insurance will reimburse you a certain amount of money for the repairs minus the deductible. Remember that the specific dollar amount of your deductible will depend on the premium that you pay every month. The lower the premium, the higher the deductible will be.

When making a claim on pothole damage, the damage will likely be relatively minor – usually a popped tire or a bent wheel. If the repairs your car needs is below the deductible amount that your collision insurance has, you probably shouldn’t make a claim.  

What To Do If You Hit a (Bad) Pothole? After spewing 4-letter words ...

Hitting a pothole doesn’t feel good, but it’s not the end of the world. If you know what you’re doing, you can usually avoid irreparable damage to your vehicle.

If you see a pothole incoming, don’t slam on the brakes. Hitting the brakes causes your vehicle’s suspension to compress to account for the forward momentum of your car. With the suspension compressed, it won’t be able to absorb the shock your wheels get from hitting the pothole.

You don’t want to be going too fast, however, as you’re all the more likely to damage your car. Instead, if you see the pothole coming, gently take your foot off the accelerator and don’t swerve out of the way, as that can cause even worse damage. Plus, swerving puts you at risk for hitting another car or losing control of your car.

If you can’t avoid hitting the pothole, you’ll need to check your vehicle sometime after safely pulling off the road or parking. Here are some things to look out for:

• Steering wheel pulling hard to one side – this can be damage to your suspension or wheel alignment
• A tear in your tire – usually accompanied your TPMS light turning on
• Bump or bulge in your wheel sidewall
• Abnormal vibration or noise while driving.

If you notice a tear in one of your tires or a bend in a wheel, you can likely replace it with a spare and drive to a mechanic on your own. If more than one of your wheels is damaged or if the steering wheel feels completely misaligned, you will need to contact a roadside assistance or towing service as your car is no longer safe to drive.

Damage that potholes cause to your vehicle ...

If your tire was ripped or torn, it’s likely that your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) will activate and you’ll notice the light on your dashboard. However, even if you don’t notice the TPMS activate, you should still inspect your tires for damage. If you notice a bulge sticking out the side of the tire, there may not be tire pressure loss but instead some sort of internal damage. If the damage is to the sidewall, you’ll probably need to replace the tire.

If the wheel is bent or misshapen after hitting a pothole, the entire wheel will likely need to be replaced. This is because the wheel won’t have an airtight seal with the tire.

Significant pull to one side or the other when you’re steering means your suspension or steering column may have been knocked out of alignment, which can cause serious damage to components of the car as they wear down unevenly. 

Just for fun: What states have the worst potholes?

While hard winters can cause more potholes to pop up, as we previously explained, you may be surprised to see some of the states that experience the most pothole complaint tweets per 1,000kms of roads, according to the Clunker Junker:

1. Rhode Island – The most complaints at 24.3 yearly tweets

2. Hawaii – 20.6 yearly tweets

3. New York – 20.5 yearly tweets

4. Massachusetts – 18.7 yearly tweets

5. California – 18.4 yearly tweets

In other pothole news, Autoblog compiled a list of the 50 states that experienced the most Google searches for pothole repair and complaints over the past 18 years. Here are the top 5 (as in worst) states:

1. Washington

2. Indiana

3. Michigan

4. Nebraska

5. Ohio

But, ultimately, no matter where you live, potholes can be a potential danger that can cause serious damage to your vehicle. Remember that if you see one coming, don’t panic, as that can make the situation worse. If you do run one over, stay calm and collected and check for damage, as it will usually only be relatively minor.