Potholes are a problem that drivers all over the U.S. have to deal with, sometimes on a daily basis. They are caused by water seeping in, which then freezes, thaws, and causes the roadway to weaken and the soil to give way.

Potholes can cause a significant amount of damage to a driver’s car, including bending or cracking the wheel and puncturing tires. They may also damage the suspension, shocks, and struts, and knock the vehicle out of alignment.

That’s why it’s important for drivers to do everything they can to avoid driving over them. A holiday that reinforces that point is National Pothole Day. This day is observed on January 15th and is a day that all drivers are going to want to be aware of.

The History of National Pothole Day

Potholes have been around since roads have been around. They’re called “potholes” because during the 15th and 16th centuries, pot makers in England would take advantage of the ruts worked into roadways by coach wheels. They would dig a little bit further into these ruts so they could extract the clay.

They then used this cost-effective clay for making pots. Teamsters who drove the wagons and coaches down the roads knew that clay pot makers made these holes worse so they could take the clay, and that’s why they began to call them “potholes.”

Some Quick Facts About Potholes

Okay, as usual, we would like to list some facts about the subject of the holiday that we’re covering. That means that today we’re going to list some facts about potholes. We hope that the following facts are informative and entertaining. At least, that’s our hope. Let’s look at them below.

• In the United States, there are an estimated 55 million potholes.
• Even though “pothole” was a common term in the UK for centuries, U.S. drivers didn’t begin using it regularly until 1909.
• Pothole damage costs American drivers an estimated $3 billion per year.
• The average driver will have to pay $300+ to repair a vehicle that was damaged by a pothole.
• Guerrilla Gardening is when people plant flowers in potholes so that their fellow drivers can see them and avoid them.

Observing National Pothole Day

Drivers can observe this day by taking the time to spot and report potholes to their proper local authorities. Yes, we know, that’s not a very interesting way to observe a holiday, but other drivers on the road will really appreciate it. People can also take the time to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalPotholeDay on social media.