They are sneaky, they are annoying and they can cause a lot of damage; and no, I am not talking about siblings. That is right, I am talking about potholes.
For those of us from towns or cities that tend to ignore road conditions, potholes are no strangers, and many of us have experience with the damage they can cause. It seems they tend to come out of nowhere, and sometimes we see them after it is already too late.
When you realize you cannot swerve to miss them, you just have to accept your fate and prepare for the impact. Most of the time, potholes are in places with already bad road conditions, and they just get worse during the winter.
Many of us know a place like this in Starkville called Blackjack Road. Blackjack Road is possibly the worst road in Starkville because of all the potholes and narrow lanes. People who live at Campus Trails or The Pointe must drive down the road nearly every day, and it seems to just become worse. About two weeks ago, the road was so bad there were traffic cones placed over the potholes to warn drivers.
Blackjack is already a narrow road. At night, it is hard to see the edges of the pavement, and oncoming cars with bright lights can cause drivers on both sides to overestimate or underestimate just how much road there actually is. Because of this, these cones became extremely inconvenient, as they caused drivers to have to swerve to the other side of the road. This caused more traffic jams, and essentially, the road became more dangerous.
According to Alex Leanse of Your Mechanic, “Roads are particularly likely to form potholes in winter and spring months, when ice and lots of running water disrupt the base layers under the pavement.” This means that simply filling in potholes when they become a problem is not going to fix anything, as they will continue to form due to weather changes.
While some small improvements were made to Blackjack Road, they are merely temporary solutions to a problem that will continue to pursue if not taken care of properly.
Blackjack Road is just one example of many places in Starkville with dangerous potholes. This problem needs to be addressed and taken care of, because potholes can cause a lot of damage to a vehicle. The worst time to hit a pothole is when you already have low tire pressure or when you had just gotten your car realigned, and you know that you will have to pay for damages.
According to Firestone, hitting a pothole can damage your tires and rims, can wear on your shocks and struts, cause suspension damage and steering system misalignment and much more. As a consequence, pothole damages can end up costing a lot of money.
A study conducted by American Automobile Association (AAA) found Americans spend roughly $3 billion a year fixing damages caused by potholes, as reported by Insurance Journal.
If you hit a bad pothole and have to take your car to the shop, you should expect to spend about $300 in damages. For many of us, $300 in damage can be a significant blow to a budget and can cause a lot of stress.
Potholes are not something towns and cities should ignore. They can cause a lot of damage, and many of us cannot afford these damages. Especially on Blackjack Road, potholes can lead to car accidents if drivers see them too late and swerve into oncoming traffic.
Fixing these potholes may be costly, but they do not have to be. While it is a little too late for Blackjack and some parking lots, potholes can be prevented if they are taken care of early on. It would be well worth the town’s time and their budget to fix these problems.