Potholes Pose Problems. If You Run into One, Schomp Can Help | Schomp Subaru

The groundhog said six more weeks of winter, but we in Colorado know cold weather could continue well into April – but interspersed with stretches of balmy, downright spring-like weather. 

You know what that means –  it’s pothole season! Winter’s freezing/thawing cycles create fissures in pavement that eventually turn into damaging potholes. 

AAA did a study a few years ago that revealed pothole-related U.S. auto damage costs motorists about $3 billion annually! And the average bill (six years ago) was pegged at $300. 

Quotewizard mined Google search data on potholes. Colorado wasn’t in the top 10 states for pothole-related damage (we were 18th), and only one Colorado city – Grand Junction – was on the list of 10-worst cities for potholes. But the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 Report Card for America’s infrastructure gave Colorado a C- for infrastructure, and said “22% of roads are in poor condition. Each motorist pays $651 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair.”

The civil engineers also noted that Colorado doesn’t collect enough gas tax revenue to pay for necessary road maintenance, which “… leads to additional costs to drivers. Costs borne by motorists for additional road repairs, traffic crashes and time lost in congestion is estimated to be $7.1 billion annually, or as much as $2,306 per driver in the Denver metropolitan area.”

Protect Yourself from Pothole Damage

Depending on the size and depth of the pothole and the type of vehicle driven, an unwary motorist can pop a tire, mutilate a wheelrim, ruin alignment, damage shock absorbers and struts, or even damage the exhaust system or engine. The cost of repairs runs from “not much” to “ouch!”

Here are some tips to avoid pothole damage:

Focus, focus, focus. Avoidance is the best strategy. Keep a good distance from the vehicle in front of you. That way, you can see what’s coming up and have time enough to steer around it. Don’t go too fast and if you can’t avoid the pothole, the slower you hit it the less damage you’re likely to do.  Keep your tires inflated at the right air pressure. You can find out what that is from the owner’s manual. And make sure you have adequate tread on your tires. If hitting a pothole is unavoidable, don’t hit the brake and keep the steering wheel straight.

We’re Pothole Repair Experts

Even the most careful drivers may encounter pothole problems. Schomp MINI is here to help. Our service technicians will expertly repair any mechanical damage a pothole might cause to your vehicle. And the Schomp MINI Tire Center has a range of high-quality tires available to replace any damaged ones.