KANSAS CITY – Another year, another winter season and the potholes are already starting to pop up all around town.
The potholes are formed when cracks in the roadways fill up with water that later freezes, expanding the cracks and breaking the pavement creating the pothole. When the roads cleared off following last week’s blizzard, many are reporting more and more of them popping up around town.
Last year, a study in USA Today took google trends and found that Kansas City ranked 10th nationwide when it comes to worst cities for potholes. They also found that if you hit a pothole and your vehicle is damaged, the average repair is $460.
There are some tips to avoid pothole damage:
First, stay alert, change lanes to avoid the pothole if possible.
If you can’t avoid it, keep your wheels straight and slow down to reduce the force of hitting the pothole.
It also helps to make sure your tires are properly inflated to reduce the chances of damage from a pothole.
If you notice changes in your vehicle, see a mechanic.
The term pothole dates back to the 15th century when pottery makers would go out into the streets and dig deep holes into the ruts of the roadway to find clay deposits below, to make pots.