Bumpy ride: Crews begin filling potholes across the Northeast to prevent costly car repairs
AAA estimates 1 out of every 10 drivers in 2021 sustained vehicle damage significant enough they needed immediate repairs after hitting a pothole
PennDOT repairing potholes on 70+ state highways
FOX Weather multimedia journalist Katie Byrne is in Chester County, PA where PennDOT has started pothole repairs on state highways.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - As we begin the transition from winter to spring, you may start to notice potholes popping up on local roads and highways.
Weather plays a big role in how they form, and crews are out in full force across the Northeast to begin filling them in before drivers are left with a hefty repair bill.
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Potholes form when water seeps into the ground under the pavement. When that water freezes, it expands. That, in turn, causes the pavement to expand and crack.
Then, as it warms up, the ice will melt, leaving behind a gap under the surface. As the process repeats and cars continue to travel on the road, a pothole is formed.
If a pothole is spotted, drivers are urged to slow down because not only is it dangerous to hit one, but it can be a costly repair to your car.
AAA found that 1 in 10 drivers hit a pothole in 2021 and needed to pay for a repair.
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On average, people who hit potholes spend about $600 to get their car fixed.
Nationally, AAA estimates drivers spent $26.5 billion in pothole repairs in 2021.
"It can be extremely expensive," Jana Tidwell, of AAA mid-Atlantic, said. "It can range from just replacing the tire to thousands of dollars worth of damage that you can't see. So, again, it's important to reevaluate, have your vehicle checked out if you hit a pothole. Because the damage can be pretty expensive."
A company called the Clunker Junker did a study where they looked at tweets to see where the most pothole complaints were coming from. Many of them were in the Northeast.
Some states among the top 10 were Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, California and Hawaii.