With the end of winter rapidly approaching, it only means one thing– potholes. According to Dictionary.com, a pothole is defined as “a hole in pavement, as by excessive use or by extremes of weather.” And oh man, was this winter filled with a lot of extreme weather. It may not seem like a big deal, but there are many effects of hitting a large pothole.
I like to classify potholes into three different categories; the first and smallest type of pothole is in the category of titled “Dandy Ditches.” This is the type of pothole that you could go over without sweating it.
The ‘middle’ type of pothole I call “Havoc Holes.” These are the types you have to kind of worry about, they are not too big to swerve out of the way of, but if you hit it at 30 mph, you could mess your car up.
The biggest and the worst type of pothole does not seem like pothole at all, this is why I put them in the category of “sinkhole.” A sinkhole is where you have to swerve onto the other side of the road and hopefully a car is not there. If you are unfortunate enough to hit the hole then you definitely will have car problems.
Tons of teenage and adult drivers hit potholes every da;y most are fortunate enough not to have car problems, but there are a few unlucky drivers. Different problems that a car may have because of winter potholes include not so serious issues and easy fixes such as a tire punctures or damage, or bent tire wheel rims.
While tire issues are the most common type and the easiest to fix problems, there are often more costly problems that drivers come across. These damages include: steering system misalignment, engine and exhaust system damage, broken or cracked suspension, and undercarriage issues such as leaking fluids.
Craters in the road cause damage to cars easily; in fact, insurance companies receive over 500,000 claims a year (http://www.wisegeek.org/how-can-i-tell-if-my-car-has-pothole-damage.htm). If you are experiencing any strange noises from your car such as clicks, roars, bangs, or raddles, please go see your local mechanic.
With Spring drawing closer, that means it is time for pothole repairs to take place. The repairs are currently taking place throughout the state of New Jersey and will be coming to your city soon. During the average year, there are between 130,000 and 140,000 potholes being filled.
In order to report potholes, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/potholeform.shtm for more information.
