WASHINGTON — Multiple rounds of snow, ice and freezing rain have taken a toll on the roads — and, by extension, pocketbooks.
The relentless barrage of winter weather has left behind a maze of potholes. Drivers navigate an obstacle course of hazards, but one clunk is enough to do hundreds of dollars of damage.
“It’s been horrific,” says a driver named Tyrone, who says he needs to repair a leak in his tire after hitting a pothole.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says drivers in the Washington region shell out an average of nearly $600 per year to repair pothole-related damage to their cars.
“They are nerve-rattling, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, butt-shaking potholes,” says AAA spokesman John Townsend.
By his estimation, the pothole problem is the most severe since the so-called Snowmageddon of 2010 — if not worse.
A Largo resident named Ericka says she’s leaving the car at home until the roads get patched up.
“I found myself feeling like I could injure someone by dodging the pothole, going into their lane,” she says. “Now I take a bus and the Metro because I don’t want to mess up my tires.”
Wondering how you can report potholes to the region? Find the numbers on WTOP.com.
Related links:
- Tips to reduce car damage while driving over potholes
- Pothole Patrol: Where are the worst potholes?
- Pothole Patrol 2014 (Photos)
- Pothole maintenance falls through cracks due to constant storms
- Pothole causes problems on Clara Barton Parkway
Follow @WTOPTraffic and “>WTOP Facebook page.
