Pothole Repair: What 3 super causes Potholes?

Pothole Repair: Nothing is more frustrating than driving along a pothole-infested road. They are not only inconvenient but can also be dangerous. Potholes have been a source of annoyance for drivers since the first road was paved.

According to some estimates, there are about 55 million potholes in the country. And while most potholes appear to be innocuous, many of them can do significant damage to the vehicle entering your parking lot, which makes timely pothole repair a high priority.

Potholes are a potential threat, so you want to know what they are, how they are formed, and how to mitigate their impact on vehicles.

What exactly is a pothole, and how do they form?

A pothole is defined as any deviation or dip in an asphalt parking lot’s surface. When groundwater seeps beneath the pavement and freezes, the pavement expands, flexes, and eventually cracks. When the ice melts completely, gaps from beneath the pavement. To complicate things further, every time a vehicle drives over the weak asphalt surface, the vehicle’s weight gradually erodes the pavement.

Parts of your parking lot may become loosened and displaced at this point. When that happens, you have got a pothole. However, the process does not end there. A newly formed pothole might fill with water, freeze, and continue to crack more asphalt, resulting in a bigger pothole that poses an even higher risk.

Potholes typically appear during the winter because they are formed from frozen water. Unfortunately, potholes are not noticeable until the snow has completely melted and the ice has thawed. As a result, freshly formed potholes are more likely to appear in the spring. This is a good reason for you to be extra cautious in the spring and schedule pothole repair.

What are the effects of potholes on vehicles? & why need Pothole Repair

According to the American Automobile Association (“AAA”), potholes cause more than $3 billion in damage every year. The damage is often minimal, such as the vehicle being knocked out of alignment — a quick trip to the local mechanic will take care of this. However, potholes can have far-reaching consequences in some cases:

Driving over potholes can damage the wheels and tires to the point where they are no longer usable. A pothole can also easily pop a tire, leaving drivers stranded if they do not have a spare. Larger potholes can even puncture multiple tires at the same time. In most cases, tire damage is noticeable. But even if a driver does not notice any damage to their vehicle, if they drive over a pothole at high speed, they should see a local mechanic.

When driving over a pothole at high speed, the steering, and suspension system of the vehicle can also be severely damaged, resulting in serious handling problems that could endanger the driver’s safety. Furthermore, it can result in excessive tire wear. In some cases, pothole damage is serious enough to damage the engine or gearbox, causing the vehicle to break down altogether.

How to prevent pothole damage? Why need Pothole Repair

The best way for a lot owner or manager to prevent pothole damage and the liabilities that come with it is to schedule timely pothole repair. However, there are several things that drivers can do to ensure safety.

Potholes are dangerous because they range from a few centimeters deep to a foot-tall gorge. Worse, it is nearly difficult to tell whether potholes are dangerous or not while driving into a parking lot. The most amount of damage is caused by hitting potholes at fast speeds.

Therefore, we advise drivers to inspect the area ahead of them before entering a parking lot. When a driver notices a pothole, the smartest decision is to drive around it. However, if they are in a packed parking lot with other vehicles nearby, they may not have that option.

If that is the case, and a driver has no choice but to drive over the pothole, we recommend slowing down before the pothole and releasing the brakes just before the tire hits the pothole. This method ensures that the vehicle’s suspension is not crushed and that the wheels do not lock up after going over a pothole.

Scheduling pothole repair is the most effective way to prevent pothole damage in your parking lot.

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Commonwealth Paving, 136 Outerloop, Louisville, Kentucky 40214
Phone: 502-459-7283, Fax: 502-456-2678

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