Western New York is welcoming warmer weather, but that means pothole season is here.
AAA says March is the number one month when it comes to drivers having to deal with pothole repairs to their vehicles.
The group estimates the average cost for a pothole repair to be about $300.
In the last five years, 16 million drivers across the U.S. have spent $15 billion for car repairs due to road conditions.
John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair explains the different type of damage, “The problems range from tire punctures and bent wheels, to more expensive suspension damage.”
AAA has tips to try and minimize the damage to your vehicle.
- Make sure tires are properly inflated and have proper tread depth.
- If you're going to hit a pothole; slow down, release the brakes, and straighten steering before hitting the pothole.
- Keep scanning to road and increase your distance between the cars in front of you to avoid potholes.
AAA is also calling on Congress to increase road and bridge repair funding, to make the ride smoother for drivers.
The group also warns about car companies taking spare tires out of vehicles over the past ten years, and replacing them with tire inflator kits. AAA says the kits are not as reliable, and they're calling on automakers to put spare tires back into cars.
