Saskatoon mechanic recommends getting car inspected after hitting potholes

Pothole season is coming in Saskatoon.

Rod Janzen, the owner of OK Tire, has already taken in a car with a tire gash and a bent rim from hitting a pothole earlier this week.

Driving into a pothole not only can knock out your alignment but wreck tires and rims, Janzen explained.

If your car starts shaking or doesn’t steer the same way after hitting a pothole, Janzen advises those people to take their cars in for an inspection.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry, because if you leave it alone, the alignment that’s out of whack could cost you a couple of tires,” he said.

Janzen said the cost of such damage varies between cars, and that having to replace rims on newer imported SUVs could set the car owner back around $1,500 per rim.

“If it’s fixable, that’s great,” he said. “If not, it’s a pretty expensive ticket.”

Janzen also advises drivers on the road to make sure their cars headlights are clean, especially for nighttime driving.

Rod Janzen, owner of OK Tire in Saskatoon, says it’s better safe than sorry to bring your car in for an inspection after hitting a pothole. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

City prepares for potholes

Saskatoon has completed its street grading after nearly two feet of snow hit the city. Now the roadways team is tackling potholes.

Cam LeClaire, the city’s acting roadways manager, said potholes are popping up again with the freeze-thaw cycle.

Once inspected by the city, potholes will be treated on a priority street basis, similar to street grading. A cold mix and gravel is used to fill the holes as a temporary measure until hot mix and asphalt can be used in mid-to late April.

Potholes are formed when water gets into pavement cracks and expands when it freezes.

“As more vehicles drive over that location, they pull more material out and then we have a pothole,” LeClaire said.

Potholes can be reported on the city’s website or by calling its customer care centre.

LeClaire advises drivers to slow down around work zones and roadway staff as they are filling potholes.