Potholes can lead to expensive car repairs. So, who pays the bill?
Pothole protection: How to safeguard your vehicles this winter
It’s that time of year you can kiss your tires goodbye if you aren’t careful out there. Pothole season is up on us and FOX 32’s Roseanne Tellez reports on ways to protect your car while driving.
Fox – 32 Chicago
It’s pothole season in Cincinnati.
Yesterday, Redditors warned of potholes causing damage to cars on Interstate-471 and Columbia Parkway, and within the past six weeks, pothole-related service requests to the city of Cincinnati are up 46% from the same period last year, Enquirer analysis of city data shows. The city has 672 more pothole-related complaints this year, compared to the first month and a half of last year.
None of this comes as a surprise to Kathleen Fuller, a spokesperson for the Southwest Ohio district of the state’s Department of Transportation, who says she tends to see the most pothole complaints in January and February.
“We have a more aggressive season this year because of the weather,” said Fuller, pointing to snowy, rainy and freezing weather in recent weeks.
How potholes form
More rain and freezing temperatures cause more potholes, which form mainly due to precipitation.
The freeze-thaw cycle that occurs during winter months makes potholes especially likely.
Water gets under the asphalt through cracks in the road, and if temperatures drop below zero, as they have in recent weeks, the water expands as it freezes.
Combined with the force of incoming traffic, “that’s kind of where the potholes start to pop out,” Fuller said.
Requesting repairs and reimbursement
The best way to report a pothole through the Ohio Department of Transportation is to submit a damage report online, said Fuller.
The department tries to get a crew out within 24 hours of the report, although weekends are likely to be slower. Pothole filling in the winter is done with a cold mix asphalt, according to Fuller, until crews can follow up with a more permanent fix in warmer months.
You can use the same online form to report damage to your car. The Ohio Court of Claims will determine whether or not you’ll be reimbursed, and if the decision is decided in your favor, you’ll receive payment within six to eight weeks of the judgment.
The Ohio Department of Transportation only maintains the interstate route and state and federal routes outside of municipalities, however, so you’ll need to call local authorities for local streets, county roads, or township roads.
In Cincinnati, visit www.311Cincy.com or call 311 to request a pothole repair or car damage reimbursement. Be sure to have your insurance damage claims at the ready.
In the meantime, Fuller said it’s important to avoid swerving to avoid a pothole, which is dangerous for yourself and other drivers.
Driving at or below the speed limit, she said, can help prevent damage when you hit a pothole you didn’t see coming.
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