LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — "One day, there's nothing here and the next day, you've got a giant pothole," said Keith Dennis, owner of KD Auto Repair Shop.
From neighborhood streets to busy roads, potholes are becoming increasingly difficult to avoid as winter storms take their toll on pavement.
Dennis explained how the damage occurs, "Water, moisture gets underneath the blacktop and kind of breaks it up and allows it to lift and as people drive, pops out of there and creates a crater in the hole that later on your vehicle comes in contact with."
Hitting a pothole can lead to expensive repairs, affecting everything from tires and suspension systems to oil pans and transmissions.
"The slower you can take the pothole, the less impact it's going to have on the vehicle's suspension. That sudden jolt is where a lot of the damage comes from," Dennis said.
His advice for drivers includes slowing down, staying alert and avoiding last-second swerving maneuvers.
Dennis recommends watching for warning signs after hitting a pothole and says, "If you were to impact a pothole, look for weird vibrations, noises, shaking, steering wheel shaking, all of those, or if you were to be driving down the road and the vehicle feels like it's pulling one way or the other."
He emphasized the importance of addressing issues quickly, noting that KD Auto Repair Shop offers same-day repairs.
"What could be a small problem could turn into a major problem if you don't address it relatively quickly," Dennis said.
