Spring has arrived – and so have potholes

State Farm in Canada, CAA-Quebec and glass dealers in Atlantic Canada are cautioning the public about one of the traditional rites of Spring — potholes.
Most roadways are built in layers, starting with earth and gravel for drainage and then covered with a layer of asphalt.
Cracks in the asphalt layer cause water to seep into the lower layers, where the water freezes and expands. Some of the underlying dirt and gravel is displaced as a result of the water freezing, leaving a hole when the water eventually melts.
When the asphalt layer over top of these holes collapses, the result is a pothole.
State Farm warns that unsuspecting motorists hitting these holes can cause an average of between $300 and $700 of damage to their vehicles.
The insurer notes motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to injury or damage to their motorcycles if they run over a pothole.
CAA Quebec has launched an online forum for reporting problems on the province’s roads, including potholes. The Web site reports 243 road problems have been flagged since Mar. 22, 2011.
Meanwhile, Scotia Auto Glass in Nova Scotia has observed more consumers reporting broken windshields as a result of hitting potholes.