Pothole damage can add up as drivers face bills starting at $200

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s March and instead of spring flowers, potholes are still blooming all over Metro Vancouver.
The wintry weather has led to a lot of wheel-eating holes in the pavement along with an uptick in business at local alignment and auto repair shops.

“Typically we get a fair amount of business with the snow and potholes,” explains Chris at West Coast Alignment in Vancouver. “It can easily bend a wheel and usually it’s missed because the inside of the wheel will be the part that flattens out first. It can also knock your wheel alignment out and even bend suspension parts,” he tells NEWS 1130.

And repair costs can add up quickly if your insurance doesn’t include optional collision coverage. “It all depends on the vehicle, but even just a steel wheel costs $200 to $300 to repair,” he says.

Chris points out there’s not a lot you can do to protect against pothole damage other than watching your speed and keeping an eagle eye out for the bone-jarring hazards. “Though it’s probably a good idea to have winter tires on steel wheels as opposed to your expensive aluminum wheels.”

He suggests saving those flashy alloy rims for less damaging summer roads.

ICBC‘s Dial-a-Claim centre received 1,221 calls this past Sunday alone, up from the 1,044 registered on the first Sunday of March last year, but lower than the other snow days this winter. ICBC does not keep records of how many of those calls were for new claims or for potholes specifically.

Frustrated drivers

So how badly has your ride been damaged by one of those potholes? The NEWS 1130 Listener Line has been inundated with calls from people saying they’re out a couple hundred dollars because of the damage.

“I was on Oak Street coming to Vancouver, in the left lane, and I damaged my rear tire. It’s not fully flat but it’s damaged because it has a deep cut in it. It’s dangerous to drive like that,” says one man.

Other stories we’ve heard involve gashed tires and weeks waiting to find replacement snow tires, rim damage and growing frustration for local city halls as people wait for potholes to be filled.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today