How Do Potholes Form?

Watch out for potholes hidden by puddles of water Photo: 四代目火影 via CC Winter is coming, and you’ll soon notice more potholes on the road. The hazardous holes can cause tons of damage to your car and your wallet. But how do potholes even form and why are there always so many when it gets…

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How Do Potholes Form? | The News Wheel

Watch out for potholes hidden by puddles of water
Photo: 四代目火影 via CC

Winter is coming, and you’ll soon notice more potholes on the road. The hazardous holes can cause tons of damage to your car and your wallet. But how do potholes even form and why are there always so many when it gets colder outside? Lucky for you, I’m about to fill you in. (Unluckily, I can’t fill in all of those potholes…)

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Science time!

There’s typically more rain, snow, and sleet in the forecast during the winter months. Potholes are an eventual result of that precipitation seeping into the ground and freezing under the pavement. When that water freezes, it expands and creates bends and cracks in the road. This weakens the pavement, and when that frozen water melts, the ground is significantly less stable. As cars drive over the unstable parts of the road, those cracks turn into small holes that continue to grow as more cars drive over them.

Obviously, the easiest way to prevent pothole damage is to safely avoid driving directly over them. If you can slightly move your car over so the tires don’t go over the hole, do so. But if you can’t go around the pothole and must drive over it, slow down! By taking it slow, you’re allowing your car’s tires and suspension to absorb the dip in the ground without clanking the undercarriage on the pavement.

Potholes can cause serious damage to your car
Photo: Laura via CC

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How Can Potholes Damage My Car?

Report the pothole

Did you know that most local government websites have ways you can report potholes? If you have your location set for your search engine, you can simply type “How to report potholes” and your city government’s website and resources should show up in the results. While there’s no guarantee that the pothole will be taken care of immediately, it could still get filled eventually and help you out later down the road. And if all else fails, just contact Domino’s and see if they’re still filling potholes nationwide.

Morgan (they/them) has lived all over the USA and in Europe. Now residing just outside of Philly, Morgan often spends time spotting Canadian actors in film and television, testing their caffeine tolerance levels, and playing board games with their wife. See more articles by Morgan.

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