Pothole season hits Manitoba drivers in the pocket, leads to spike in claims to public insurer

As if the snow and ice ruts on Winnipeg roads this winter weren't enough, drivers are now navigating roads littered with potholes, and many are damaging their cars in the process.

Manitoba Public Insurance says it received 324 pothole-related claims in March 2022 alone, a 479 per cent increase from 56 in March 2021, according to statistics provided by the public insurance corporation to CBC/Radio-Canada.

The average number of claims in March from 2019 to 2021 was 62, MPI says.

The City of Winnipeg has repaired 23,000 potholes since the beginning of April,focusing first on major routes and bus routes, a city spokesperson said.

Some of those potholes are more than a few feet wide and quite deep, resulting in damage to vehicles driving over them.

Linda Cole, who co-owns Tony's Auto on Academy Road with her husband, Jeremy Cole, says they've seen an increase in customers needing repairs after hitting potholes.

"There's something about this spring that we're having, that we're seeing a lot more blown-out tires than normal, and just all around front-end suspension needs," she said.

Hitting a pothole primarily causes front-end damage to the suspension and tires. Repairs can cost hundreds of dollars. If the damage is extensive, the Coles will recommend their customers go through Manitoba Public Insurance.

Jeremy, the shop's mechanic, says he likes fixing cars, but not when it's because of unnecessary damage from potholes. 

If the customer does end up going through MPI, they still need to pay their deductible — a minimum of $200 — and can lose points on the insurer's driver rating scale, costing them more long-term.

"It's a lose-lose situation," Jeremy said.

'Should be covered by the city'

Mary Bautista's son was driving down Route 90 when he drove over a pothole and blew out a tire, racking up a $500 repair bill.

"Honestly, it should be covered by the city," Bautista said. MPI told her son it wasn't worth making a claim.

She doesn't feel the city is doing enough to address the problem.

A spokesperson said that while the city is receiving thousands of requests for road repairs, there are actually fewer potholes this year than in previous years due to the weather.

Potholes can be caused by freeze and thaw cycles, when temperatures drop below the freezing point overnight and climb above it during the day. 

When the temperatures are above zero, water from the melting snow and ice seeps through cracks in the pavement and saturates the soil underneath.

At night, when the temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands, which pushes up against the asphalt and widens cracks or creates buckling.

Rise and repeat, and you've got yourself a pothole problem.

Winnipeg didn't begin a freeze-thaw cycle until March this year, whereas last year, the city experienced a few cycles in January and February, the city's spokesperson said.

Citizens can report potholes by calling the city's 311 line or filling out the online pothole reporting form.

But until they're fixed, how can drivers avoid severe damage?

"Take puddles with caution, and slow down," Linda Cole said.

Dealing with potholes

3 years ago

Duration 2:04

As if the snow and ice ruts on Winnipeg roads this winter weren't enough, drivers are now navigating roads littered with potholes, and many are damaging their cars in the process.