THP offers tips for driving on pothole-ridden roadways
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Potholes, potholes everywhere, and they are wreaking havoc on drivers across West Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is calling this one the worst and longest seasons for potholes it has ever seen. With no end in sight to this pothole problem, drivers are being urged to take it slow. “It throws your car off and you almost run into other people,” driver Kelly Duncan said. “People are trying to avoid them, so it’s pretty dangerous.” Potholes of every size litter state highways, showing up faster than TDOT can fix them. “When you have potholes constantly appearing, and the ones they’re repairing today are going to need to be repaired again tomorrow, it’s going to take a couple weeks,” Lt. Brad Wilbanks with the Tennessee Highway Patrol said. With drivers trying to dodge and switch lanes to save their cars, officials said those are among the worst things you can do. “Don’t stop or slow down abruptly on the interstate,” Wilbanks said. “Don’t swerve anywhere when you drive. That’s when you lose control, and when you lose control things happen, and they’re usually not good.” From more easily fixable flat tires to major wrecks such as Tuesday’s flipped water tanker on I-40, the road conditions are taking a toll. In other parts of the country rough roads are the norm, but officials said because this is not commonplace here drivers just need to take it slow. “Traditionally we have very, very good roadways,” Wilbanks said. “So this two or three weeks when we have potholes, it kind of catches us off guard and we’re not used to it.” TDOT officials say I-40 is one of the most traveled highways in the country, meaning hundreds of thousands of people are driving over the potholes every day. With warmer weather on the way, officials are hopeful things will get back to normal pretty soon. Troopers say if your car gets damaged while driving and you need to pull over, give them a call and they will help direct traffic while you wait for a wrecker.
