Winter weather conditions are hard on Kentucky roads, and officials with AAA said now, more than ever, drivers need to be on the lookout for damaged roadways.
Lori Weaver-Hawkins is Public Affairs Manager for AAA Bluegrass. She said potholes can cause serious damage to cars. She added that winter weather conditions lead to more of them this time of year.
“All of that freezing and then thawing and freezing and thawing and back and forth is very hard on the roads surfaces and so we are now seeing that there are a lot of potholes out there and we’re seeing them a little bit earlier than oftentimes we do,” said Weaver-Hawkins
She said potholes aren’t just an inconvenience, they can cause serious damage to cars.
“Americans spend billions of dollars every year to repair the damage caused by potholes. And it's not an easy fix, or not an inexpensive fix, it actually averages about $600 per repair,” said Weaver-Hawkins.
Weaver-Hawkins said the best way to avoid that cost is to avoid potholes entirely, if possible. The AAA representative warns drivers to be aware of oncoming traffic and not to swerve if it is not safe to do so. She said the next best option is to slow down and keep an eye on the condition of the vehicle afterward, pulling over if it makes any unusual sounds.