The beginning of March means more fluctuations in the weather which also means drivers can expect to see more potholes on the roads and potentially some unexpected repairs.
As the freeze-thaw cycle continues to create the perfect conditions for potholes to form, city crews are preparing for a busy season ahead.
John Parsons, the division manager in road operations told CTV News “During the winter season we can spend anywhere from $500,000 to $600,000 a year fixing and patching potholes.”
From Jan. 1 to March 1 of this year, the City of London has received 710 calls for potholes alone, compared to 823 in all of 2021.
“We know that there are some troubled areas and we will return to those areas so we do our best to keep up with that,” said Parsons.
To speed up the repair process across London, Parsons says people can report a pothole through the city’s service London app under road issues. Londoners can also report a pothole problem through the city’s website.
“Any given day we can have eight to 10 patching crews out,” he said.
But some drivers are still finding themselves paying in unexpected costs as a result of damaged roads.
Teresa De Felice, the vice president of CAA south-central Ontario government relations, said the faster you go through a pothole the more damage to your vehicle.
“We hired a firm to look at the cost impact of bad roads and on average,” said De Felic. “Canadians are spending over $100, close to $126 a year just on the wear and tear of poor roads on your vehicle,” which costs Canadians $3-billion annually.
If you run over a pothole and experience damage, “you could put in a claim with the City of London, you have 10 days from the date of the incident to get that claim in,” according to Parsons.
De Felice says if the city is aware of that specific pothole they could be responsible, however, if it is new, and the city is unaware of the pothole, your claim may not be successful. Which is why we encourage people to report potholes that you’re seeing.”
Jeremy Handford, the owner of Hanford’s Tire and Service says, “It’s really tough because obviously, it changes every day on the roads.”
Hanford recommends drivers pull over to inspect their vehicles for any damage to their tires and rims.
Though it’s difficult to avoid potholes Hanford recommends slowing down and leaving more distance from the car in front of you to avoid it.
“If you hit a pothole and you know it’s a hard hit, it’s a good idea to call your repair shop and get the alignment checked,” said Hanford.