If you’ve ever been behind the steering wheel of a vehicle, you’re probably familiar with potholes. The feeling of cruising down a road and suddenly hitting a hole in the ground is both startling and annoying. But not only is it irritating to the driver, hitting a pothole isn’t the best for a vehicle. Swerving to avoid a pothole or hitting a large hole that knocks your vehicle off course can be a serious safety hazard. With time, it can also lead to significant vehicle damage. In this article, we’ll discuss a few pothole FAQs and how Morgan Pavement offers the quickest pothole repair solution.
Why Potholes are Dangerous Road Hazards
Potholes may seem like small inconveniences in the road, but they can cause serious damage to a car, or much worse. If they aren’t repaired in a correct and timely manner, they can continue to pose a hazard for both motorists, pedestrians, and vehicles on the road. In fact, AAA’s John Nielsen reports that in a recent five-year span, 16 million American drivers suffered damage to their vehicles because of potholes. Whether it was a punctured tire or suspension damage, the financial facts show that potholes are an expensive problem. Here are a few more important facts about potholes.
How and When Do Potholes Form in Utah?
In Utah and across the snowy Intermountain West, potholes commonly form throughout the late winter and into early spring. That’s because one of the main causes of potholes is freezing ground water. When water enters a small crack in the concrete or asphalt and freezes, it expands, carving an even larger groove into the hard surface. Over time, this process expands these grooves into fully formed potholes. After a season full of repeated freezing and thawing, new or widened potholes may seem to pop out of nowhere.
Do Potholes Cause Flat Tires?
Potholes do have the ability to cause flat tires. Tires can quickly become punctured from the rough edges of a pothole, or even worn down by routinely hitting potholes on your drive to work.
Do Potholes Cause Accidents?
Hitting a pothole while driving can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. While it’s likely a temporary loss of control, even a few seconds can cause a collision when traveling at high speeds. It’s even more of a hazard for motorcyclists, who are statistically more prone to having an accident after hitting a pothole in the road.
Do Heavy Trucks Cause Potholes?
According to a study done by the U.S. General Accounting Office, the road damage caused by a single 18-wheeler was equivalent to the damage caused by 9,600 cars. Based on this study, they concluded that heavy and overweight trucks are a significant cause of highway deterioration.
Do Potholes Affect Car Alignment?
Aside from potentially causing a flat tire, potholes have the potential of causing damage to the alignment of the car. Hitting the hard, uneven edge of a pothole can jar your steering system, which causes misalignment to your wheels.
Do Potholes Damage Vehicle Suspension?
Yes, potholes can damage vehicle suspension. Even a minor strike has the potential to cause damage to the suspension along with damaging shocks and struts.
Do Tire Warranties Cover Potholes?
Some tire manufacturers offer a limited road hazard warranty that typically covers the tires for the first year after they’re purchased, or the first 2/32nds of tread life, whatever comes first. This type of warranty may cover the damage to your tire caused by a pothole.
How to Repair Potholes
Potholes need immediate repair; otherwise, they’re only likely to continue growing. One of the most common ways to fix potholes is by asphalt patching. When asphalt has had potholes or extensive cracking, the asphalt is removed and replaced with a fresh, solid layer. Instead of a cracked, uneven surface, only a smooth, superior driving surface is left.
Who is Responsible for Fixing Potholes?
The entity that owns the road is responsible for any repairs, including potholes. On public roads, it is usually up to the county or state to repair any potholes. In fact, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association reports that of the 4.1 million miles of roadways in America, almost 97 percent are the responsibility of state and local governments. Less than 150,000 miles are under the jurisdiction of federal agencies, including roads within national parks or forests.
Will the City Pay for Damage Caused by Potholes?
If you’ve found that your car has been damaged by a pothole or other road hazard, you can usually file a claim with the government entity that is in charge of maintaining the road. As part of the claim, you’ll need to prove that the government is at fault. Please note that each claim is different.
Asphalt Maintenance and Repair with Morgan Pavement
Now that you know how serious pothole damage can be, here’s a fast, effective solution: Morgan Pavement’s asphalt services. We serve the municipal, commercial, and private sectors. Although many potholes are on public roads, potholes can form on many roads and parking lots under private ownership, such as HOA neighborhoods, commercial spaces and parking lots, and private roads or driveways. Take a look at all the industries that we currently service.
We offer a wide variety of asphalt services, from asphalt crack sealing repair, asphalt paving, and asphalt patching and we know the proper way to fill a pothole. We have the knowledge and experience to correctly assess which services are best for the situation, and how they can help prevent future potholes from forming. We proudly serve the state of Utah as well as many locations throughout the entire Intermountain West. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you.
