Rough Weather Creating Rough Ride For Oklahoma Drivers

Tulsa drivers didn't have to deal with much ice or snow on roads Tuesday, but colder weather is making pre-existing potholes even larger.

Drivers have found potholes, big and small, on highways as well as city streets, and they say it’s costing them big bucks.

Crews are working to get them all filled, but that doesn't help those who hit them and now have thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.

While most times potholes don’t slow you down, one near I-44 and Highway 75 brought Laynetta Deckard to a stop.

"When we hit it, it sounded like the car had bottomed out," she said.

Deckard said her back passenger-side tire blew immediately and that her drivers side rim was badly damaged; it also damaged one of here rear tires.

“I was only going 35, 40 miles per hour,” she said.

What makes it even worse is that Deckard had just put four brand new tires on her car a few days before.

"I'm on a very fixed income and it took me months to be able to save up to put new tires on my vehicle," she said.

Crews are out filling potholes, but that doesn't help Deckard and other drivers who hit them during and shortly after the storm.

Gary Johnston Auto Repair employee Casey Eton said he can detect a tire damaged from a pothole right away.

"It will cause a weak area that will cause a bulge in the tire, and you may notice a physical bump on the outside which is a sure sign it's damaged," he said.

Deckard wishes she could get her car into a shop, but she can't afford it, and that worries her.

"From what the mechanics have told me, if I continue to drive with this busted strut as it is, not only does it put me at risk but also other people at risk," Deckard said.

You can file a claim with the city to try and get reimbursed, but most of the time it's denied because you have to meet strict criteria.

Records would have to show the pothole was first reported, before you hit it, and not fixed by the city in an adequate amount of time, for a claim to be granted.

Last year, the City of Tulsa had 13 pothole claims and all were denied. 

You can report a pothole to the city by calling 918-596-2100, or, you can fill out a report on the city's website.