VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — It's no surprise: The pothole situation in Michigan is a major concern for many folks.
In fact, a recent study by QuoteWizard shows that Michigan is the third-worst state after Washington and Indiana when it comes to potholes.
Driving around Van Buren Township, resident Susan Hanline says southbound Haggerty Road "will knock your teeth loose."
Hanline also says it's an accident waiting to happen.
"Let's face it, you hit the pothole wrong, they will knock you into another lane if you are not careful," Hanline said.
Fred Taylor has been living in the area since 2016 and he says the situation keeps getting worse.
"You can’t miss potholes here now. They are popping up every day now," Taylor said.
Fred says if you add weather and low visibility to the mix, it’s a recipe for disaster.
"Nighttime you can’t see them, but they are dangerous for your vehicle," Taylor said.
7 Actions News reached out to the Wayne County Road Commission to see what’s being done about the situation. They say the weather is the culprit.
But for Susan, it's not a good enough answer.
"They want to higher taxes here to fix everything up here in the Michigan area. Iowa was half the taxes and you never find roughed up roads, and they got the same environment," Hanline said.
“All available crews are out patching potholes. Impacted areas will be monitored throughout the winter season. Meanwhile, a crew will be addressing potholes on Haggerty Road by close of business tomorrow. Additionally, this area is scheduled for a more permanent repair by the end of the 2022 paving season,” Wayne County spokesperson Tiffani Jackson told us.
But that’s just one part of the problem. Adam Ramoni from Repair Once Tire & Auto says these potholes are costing hardworking Michiganders a lot of money on car repairs.
Besides being a driving hazard, they are also costing Michiganders thousands of dollars in car repairs.
In fact, drivers across the country spend $3 billion each year fixing pothole damage to their car
Ramoni says in some cases, pothole-related repairs can go up to thousands of dollars.
"We never want to capitalize on anybody’s misery. We don’t want to take advantage of people but at the end of the day, they need their cars fixed," Ramoni said.
Ramoni is also advising to drive slowly on pothole-filled roads and maintain a good distance from the car in front as it will help identify oncoming potholes. And of course before driving, always check your tires.
