The other day, I saw a post in a Facebook group that made me chuckle and also served as a reminder.   As this ice and snow melts, we should all keep a close eye on the roads.

Tyson Trogden writes: "Caution: There’s a three-bedroom, two-bathroom pothole in the far right northbound lane of Frederica Street across from Ollie’s Car Wash. The lane closest to the row of houses on the side street. And another one in the same lane down further towards Red Lobster and German American Bank."

Pothole Problems in Owensboro

In the comments, folks shared other experiences around town with the same vibe of warning with a splash of humor. Kim Morrison says, "I hit the one in front of Ollie's last night in my Yukon and felt like Mario when he gets the change knocked out of him." Even our very own Barb Birgy played "Dodge the Pothole" this week, "It’s not a pothole, it’s a crater. I just missed it in the Christmas Wish van this morning! It’s rough."

Why Are There So Many Potholes After It Snows?

After winter weather, potholes become more pronounced. This is due to multiple factors like:

  • Sudden changes in temperature
  • Moisture from snow and ice melting
  • Snowplows scraping the streets

How to Prevent Pothole Damage

My friends make fun of me for driving like a Memaw, but I was taught in Driver's Education to stay at least a couple of cars distance between myself and the vehicle ahead of me. This is especially helpful when keeping an eye out for holes in the road. That way, I can slow down and reduce any possible damage. It's also important to keep your tires properly inflated, so don't ignore that "low tire" light when it comes on.

How to Report a Pothole in Owensboro, Kentucky

First, you need to figure out whether the road is maintained by the City of Owensboro, The Daviess County Road Department, or the State of Kentucky, then you can report it accordingly by calling or submitting online forms.

City of Owensboro: Call City Action at (270) 687-4444 or email cityaction@owensboro.org

The Daviess County Road Department: After consulting the DC Road Index to confirm the pothole is on a county road, Call 270-685-8456

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Report a Pothole by filling out the form here. 

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How to File a Claim if a Pothole Damages Your Vehicle in Kentucky

The Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet explains "The Board of Claims ensures an impartial and fair review of all claims filed by citizens who believe their person or property has been damaged through negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky." There is no fee to file a claim, but it must be done within a year of the incident by filling out the claim form linked here. If you do find yourself in a situation where a pothole has damaged your vehicle, it is suggested to file a police report for documentation of the event.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions if you need to learn more. Stay safe out there!

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

 

 

 

 

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