Goodyear Cautions About Early Pothole Epidemic
17 January 2001
Goodyear Cautions About Early Pothole Epidemic
AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 17 Motorists are dodging more potholes
earlier this year on their way to springtime.
Goodyear engineers say it's doubly important to keep your tires properly
inflated this winter, lest a pothole threatens to take a bite out of your
tires.
Severe cold followed by a warming spell has cultivated a new patch of
potholes or chuckholes, according to Bill Egan, chief engineer of advanced
tire technology for Goodyear. "You don't want to drive into these beasts
without sufficient air in your tires."
In one such case, Milwaukee residents could face hundreds of new potholes.
Jerry Zaremba said calls to his city Public Works office have increased five-
fold, with 25 to 30 callers a day reporting new potholes.
Zaremba said pothole season usually starts in March. However, hundreds
already pock streets throughout Milwaukee; the city has doubled the number of
road crews repairing the craters.
In Montreal, a car had to be pushed out of a pothole by four burly men.
Wheel alignment shops and tire stores bent on repairing damaged wheels and
flat tires are reporting brisk business.
Councillor Richard Theoret of the Montreal Citizens' Movement said, "It's
a huge problem right now. There are not only more potholes, but they are also
bigger and deeper than ever, often going all the way down to the second layer
of asphalt in the road."
Egan said Goodyear certifies tire durability using a U.S. Department of
Transportation plunger test. Engineers run a tire at a specified inflation
pressure and load over a 3/4-inch diameter knob to pass the test.
Test engineers have conducted 4-inch deep simulated pothole tests to
determine impact damage on low-aspect or short sidewall tires. Not
surprisingly, an underinflated 195/50R15 performance tire sustained damage at
higher speeds, such as 50 mph. At lower speeds, the rim was bent and the tire
lost inflation pressure, Egan said.
A taller sidewall 235/75R15 passenger car tire sustained no damage at any
speed, he added.
"Today's tires are so good that you're more likely to put the wheels out
of alignment. If a tire loses air, it's most likely due to rim damage," Egan
said.
Egan outlined some precautions to take if you're driving on a pothole-
filled road:
* Slow down, and try to avoid hitting the craters.
* If a pothole can't be avoided, keep the steering wheel straight and
avoid braking. Allow the tire to roll through the pothole. Braking
transfers more load onto the front tires, which could cause more damage.
* If the tire loses air, stop to the side of the road. The tire should be
inspected internally by tire professionals for damage, and the rim
should be evaluated for repair or replacement.
* Most importantly, keep your tires properly inflated.
"You hit enough potholes, and you can damage any tire," Egan said.
"They're not to be taken lightly."
Consider Philadelphia's definition of a pothole: bowl-shaped openings
that usually have raveled edges and can be up to 10 inches deep. You don't
want to face Philly's other category, the cave-in or sinkholes, Egan said.
They're even deeper.
Michigan potholes are thriving as well, accounting for three times the
typical number of claims for this time of year, according to AAA Michigan.
Since Dec. 11, the auto club said 1,400 pothole claims have been filed.
Last year, the club said, 21 percent of AAA Michigan members reported
damage to their vehicles from poor roads, with the average repair cost at
$478.
In the Chicago area, repeated heavy snows and cold weather have wreaked
havoc on streets and highways. "The worst is yet to come," said former Cook
County traffic engineering chief Monte Chen, who smartly retired Dec. 29.
That's because road engineers say two key factors determine the number and
size of potholes: the amount of moisture that finds its way into cracks in the
roadway and the number of times the roads thaw and freeze.
Each time the roads freeze, ice forms in the cracks and expands, opening a
hole in the surface. And a pothole is born.