SPOKANE — Finally, residents can get out of their driveways, now that streets are plowed and the snow is melting. The bad news is a bumper crop of rapidly multiplying potholes.
Washington State Patrol trooper Antonio “Tony” Olivas told The Spokesman-Review he is among those who have been jolted so hard they were surprised their vehicles kept going.
“I would recommend slowing down,” Olivas said, “because otherwise, (drivers) are looking at damage to their vehicles, especially if they don’t know the depth of the pothole.”
For street crews, a state of emergency for snow removal — more than 6 feet has fallen this winter — has been followed by emergency street repairs.
Don Meszler, a manager for Watts Wheel and Driveline Service, said about half of his business these days is from cars with suspension problems and other pothole-related damage. Average bills have been $200 to $300, but some run a lot higher, he said.
“We did one suspension job that cost the owner $1,300,” Meszler said. “The driver hit a pothole; the car slid and then hit a pole. It was $1,300, not counting the exterior damage to the car.”
Damage to alignment and tires may not be readily apparent at firsts and can quickly grow worse.
“It could break a steel cord in the tire, which can cause handling problems. Obviously, you can hurt your rims,” Meszler said. “If you notice that your steering wheel changes location as you drive straight, you definitely have done hard damage.”
Meszler offered much the same advice as Olivas: Slow down.
“If you see a pothole, idle through it,” he said. “The only thing I can tell (drivers) for preventative measures is don’t run through puddles, period. You don’t know how deep it is, and they form for a reason — because there is a hole.”
A motorist can file a damage claim with the city’s Risk Management Department, along with repair receipts and a descriptions of when and where the car hit a pothole, but few if any are likely to collect.
Before the big storms of recent weeks, officials said the city had not paid on one claim in the last three years because, for the city to be liable, the pothole must have been reported and no work done to fix it before the damage occurred.
Even so, Meszler said motorists should be diligent in filing claims “so the guy down the line can get it paid.”
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