New tech allows Windsor crews to scout for potholes by driving over them

The City of Windsor is using new technology to scout for potholes to improve efficiency in repairing them, according to the maintenance co-ordinator for public works.

"As they drive, it picks up where the potholes are," said Roberta Harrison. "Those locations are distributed to the patch crew so that they can just go right to the potholes instead of looking for them themselves."

The technology is being used alongside resident complaints to identify areas in need of work.

This has been a typical pothole season, according to Harrison.

"We've had a lot of temperature swings over the last two months," she said. "One day, we're at [15 C], one day we're below freezing, so that doesn't help out with the pothole situation."

One Windsor driver has felt the impact of potholes first-hand.

"I was driving at the speed limit, then I don't know what happened," said Lukas Koutras, describing his experience driving on Walker Road. "I hit the angle of the pothole at a weird spot and it tore through my tire."

"I got out and I checked and my whole tire was completely deflated."

The damage cost Koutras $600 to repair and his car is still being worked on.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has launched its annual worst roads campaign, which allows people to vote on the streets they think need the most work.

Last year, four out of the five worst roads in southwestern Ontario were located in Windsor. 

Rough roads were also a point of contention for Windsor voters during last year's municipal election campaign.

Analysis of the data found on the City of Windsor's Open Data Catalogue showed that Wards 2 and 5 have consistently ranked among the top wards in the city to have pothole repair requests submitted. Of the four worst roads in CAA's survey last year, three were in Wards 2 or 5.

The only road not in the two wards, which happens to be the worst road according to the survey, was Lauzon Parkway. Another resident takes that road everyday and is not surprised.

"You have to swerve and miss and, at the same time, you're trying to make sure you're not causing an accident so you're not hitting someone else and hurting someone else or destroying your vehicle at the same time," said Christine Donnelly.

Harrison says she is not surprised by that.