Scores of potholes reported across the Triangle after January snowstorm
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Early Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Transportation reported nearly 200 potholes in the last four days. The number of potholes is in large part due to the early January snowstorm that shut down roads throughout the Triangle.
Grover McNair, the owner of McNair Performance Inc., says the damage to your vehicle can often go unseen.
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"We see broken suspension components like tire rods, ball joints," McNair said. "When that happens, (vehicle damage) can be more dramatic."
McNair has been in business since 1985 and said potholes can also cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
"Depending on the depth and the size of the pothole", McNair explained, "it can do damage to other things too. Like the subframe of the car, tires certainly get blown out commonly when you hit a big pothole."
NCDOT categorizes road damage into two categories - potholes and delaminations. Delaminations are described as road defects where only the top layer of the pavement breaks and creates a small, often times shallow, divot.
Due to a number of road defects across the state, delaminations aren't repaired. Also, during the winter months, a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes is not available. Crews used a cold mix, which does not shape as well to the surrounding and affected pavement. This means potholes repaired by a cold mix are likely to need another repair in the future.
McNair said the cost to repair damage to your vehicle can add up quickly.
"If the wheel is repairable, it's usually around $125 to repair the wheel," McNair told ABC11. "If it's not repairable, then a new wheel costs anywhere from $200 to 8, 9, even $1,000."
"The best thing you can do for your own safety is is to pull over and take a look at things," said McNair. "If you see anything that's obviously out of round; any irregularity in the outer surface of your wheel, or a bulge in your tire, or if the tire's gone flat, those are things you should look at right off the bat."
