You hit a pothole on your way home from work, and after cursing under your breath wonder, “How the heck are there so many of these!?” 

If you’ve ever wondered what causes potholes, keep reading!

Water Expands, The Road Erodes 

Simply put, water from snow and rain gets underneath the road surface via weak spots in the asphalt. When the weather gets cold, it freezes the water and the ice expands and can further crack the road. 

When the weather starts to warm up, that ice melts, and the road begins to collapse in on itself. After that happens enough times, and cars zoom over the weakening pavement, it can crumble and create the dreaded pothole. 

Salting the roads actually makes it worse, too. The salt melts the ice artificially, meaning instead of only freezing when the weather gets cold and thawing once spring is well on its way, the water under the roads freezes and thaws over and over with the application of salt during icy/snowy weather. That repetitive force breaks down the pavement even quicker! 

What Happens To You 

Even with yearly road repair, there’s almost no way to prevent potholes from occurring. And no matter how carefully you drive, it’s likely you’ll hit one (or multiple) at some point, unfortunately. Like you have been doing lately… (Sorry!)