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Winter-Weary Motorists Beware: Potholes Ahead, SAYS AAA

20 January 1998

Winter-Weary Motorists Beware: Potholes Ahead, SAYS AAA

    ORLANDO, Jan. 20 -- First came cold weather, then ice, then
snow.  Now motorists in winter-ravaged regions of the country need to brace
for the next hazard -- potholes.
    "The frigid temperatures and significant moisture around the country have
set the stage for a bumper crop of potholes," said David Van Sickle, director
of AAA Automotive and Consumer Information.  "When temperatures warm, there
can be significant damage to roads and bridges."
    Potholes form when moisture seeps into and under the pavement.  The water
then expands as it freezes.  When the ice melts, the weakened pavement
collapses, creating a pothole.
    AAA says potholes are more likely to form on older, poorly maintained
roads where cracks make it easy for water to penetrate the road surface.
    "One-third of major U.S. roads are in poor to mediocre condition." said
Van Sickle.  "Severe winter weather can make that bad situation much worse."
    "Besides causing jarring bumps to motorists, potholes are a significant
threat to safety," he added.  "Hitting a pothole can cause a loss of vehicle
control and swerving to avoid a pothole can be equally dangerous."
    There also is an economic threat.  Costs for repairing damage from
potholes range from $50 for a simple wheel alignment to $500 for replacing a
top-of-the-line alloy wheel.  Other estimated repair costs for typical pothole
damage include a tie rod ($50-$150), ball joint ($75-$150) and control arm
($150-300).
    The best advice for driving on damaged roads, according to AAA, is to slow
down and carefully avoid impact with potholes.  Many crashes are caused by
swerving to avoid potholes.
    If a pothole can't be safely avoided, try to roll slowly through it rather
than braking rapidly.  A locked wheel suffers more damage than a rolling one.
    Motorists should also be sure their tires are inflated properly.  Too much
air pressure increases the risk of tire damage from pothole impact while low
pressure increases the risk of wheel damage.
    AAA's nationwide campaign -- "Crisis Ahead: America's Aging Highways and
Airways" -- is designed to heighten awareness of the deteriorating condition
of the nation's transportation system.  Since 1960, total spending in constant
dollars to maintain U.S. highways has dropped 50 percent.
    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 97 clubs with more than 1,000
offices providing 40 million members in the U.S. and Canada with travel,
insurance, financial and auto-related services.

SOURCE  AAA