Welcome to Pothole season! According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) pothole season started on February 28. The loads of salt put on local streets and highways this winter, followed by the scraping snowplows, followed by meltwater expanding and contracting in the road cracks during the winter has left drivers with an obstacle course of danger.
Hitting potholes can cause all kinds of problems. According to the AAA auto club “Pothole encounters can wreak havoc on car tires, wheels and suspensions. Most pothole-related repairs cost less than $250, but in some cases, the bill can exceed $1,000; the average repair cost is $306. Even worse, hitting a pothole – or taking the wrong measures to avoid one – could cause a crash and personal injuries.”
Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from the AAA official “Potholes and Vehicle Damage” webpage:
- keep tires properly inflated,
- eliminate driving distractions,
- look ahead for road hazards,
- be wary of puddles that may hide potholes and keep a safe distance from other vehicles.
- Check your surroundings for collision threats before you stomp on the brakes or swerve suddenly to dodge a pothole.
- If you can’t avoid one, slow down, but release the brakes and straighten the steering wheel just before impact to help minimize any damage.
According to Stephen Schapiro, a NJ DOT spokesman, they have repaired more than 37,000 potholes on state and interstate highways between Jan.1 and Feb.15, which is 3,000 more than they filled during the same time last year.
Trenton, where MCCC’s downtown campus is, always has issues with potholes and locals frequently take to social media to complain. The situation is so bad that the current mayor included filling potholes as part of his campaign promises when he ran for office.
He equated filling potholes to adding jobs saying, “As for the remaining Public Works, I will ask that the department’s focus be on filling the potholes; cleaning the alleys; creating a new and innovative recycling program — all of which will mean new jobs for our city residents,” in a July 2018 speech.
DOT crews work from 9-3 pm during pothole season and try to avoid working in travel lanes during commuting hours. Pothole repair locations will be posted on the 511NJ website.
