Neighbor News
Pittsburgh Pothole Blitz Underway
The city of Pittsburgh has started their annual two-day "pothole blitz" to keep local drivers and cyclists safe on the roads.
March 8th marked the start of the annual “pothole blitz” in Pittsburgh. Every year city workers drive the roads to find and fill potholes around the city. It will cause minor traffic delays while hot asphalt is used to fill these potholes, starting with those that residents have called in and complained about.
What’s the big deal about potholes? Besides being irritating and causing possible tire or vehicle damage, potholes can also be extremely dangerous for drivers and cyclists.
Cyclists are especially susceptible to injury from a pothole related bicycle accident. A minor pothole can have a big impact on a cyclist causing them to come off their bike and suffer serious injury. Another danger for a cyclist when it comes to potholes is it can cause them to lose control of their bike and suddenly veer into oncoming traffic. As stated on the website of Pittsburgh bike accident lawyers Chaffin Luhana LLP, 1.6% of reporter traffic deaths are cyclists in Pennsylvania.
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Cyclists are much more vulnerable to serious injury than a person protected in a car, meaning running over a pothole at any speed on a busy road can be potentially deadly.
The city of Pittsburgh is being proactive about this issue by filling in potholes each year rather than waiting for community complaints. The “pothole blitz” started at 6am Wednesday morning and is expected to continue through at least Thursday. A minor traffic delay is a small price to pay to avoid injury or even save a life.