the difference between first world and third world is as clear as the difference between night and day!

Consider how potholes are treated in Canada versus how they are treated in Nigeria:

Hector Moreno, Toronto manager of road operations, City of Toronto, Canada had this to say:


“If you submit a pothole complaint, we have to fix it within 24 hours on an expressway, five days for a main arterial road and up to 20 days on secondary roads and local streets, But typically complaints received for potholes are attended to within 48 hours, and we have patrols on the expressways 24/7.”

Imagine how many lives and limbs and property would be saved if potholes on Nigerian highways/expressways were fixed on within 20 days (which is the repair time-frame for secondary roads and local streets in Canada) as against the 24 hours ((which is the repair time-frame for expressways in Canada)

Nigeria has got a long way to go!

Here are some suggestions to battle potholes:

Top up your tire pressure: The best protection against potholes is properly inflated tires, Cooney-Mann says. Look inside the manual or the driver’s door jamb to find the proper tire pressure for your car - the number on the side of the tires is the maximum recommended by the tire manufacturer. Check tire pressure monthly.

Slow down and watch out: Spring is pothole season, so you should be keeping your eyes peeled, says APA’s Iny. But what about the potholes you might not be able to see? Watch for cyclists - and other cars - swerving to avoid them, says the CAA. “Stay off seams at the edges and centre of the road, a key spot where potholes usually develop,” says CAA’s D’Arbelles. “Be cautious when the roads are wet, as there may be a pothole under that puddle.”

Try to drive over it: If you see a pothole, your first instinct might be to swerve - and that could cause damage that you could have otherwise avoided. Damage only happens when your tires hit the pothole.

“It’s actually okay to just drive over them - you just want to avoid hitting them with your tires,” Cooney-Mann says. “People often swerve and then hit it with one of their wheels - that’s when the damage happens.”

The only time you don’t want to drive over a pothole? If something big enough to damage the underside of your car is sticking out of it.


Don’t brake: “It can cause a wheel to lock and transmit a harsher impact to the vehicle,” says APA’s Iny.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/i-hit-a-big-pothole-could-there-be-damage-i-cant-see/article30125217/