As winter slowly fades, drivers are now confronted with huge potholes that are causing untold tire, wheel and suspension damage. Due to the severe winter, the bankrupt highway trust fund and states refusal to repair roads during the Great Recession, the potholes are a nationwide plague.
If you experience a bone-jarring pothole and your tire blows out, a vibration or pull appears, or the opening of a window in milder weather allows you to hear a new noise, have your vehicle looked at immediately. Do not just rely on the spare tire, if you a fortunate enough to have one.
“Potholes are a driving hazard that can cause significant damage to your vehicle and ruin a tire,” says Dan Zielinski of the Rubber Manufacturers Assn. “Motorists should be extra careful to avoid potholes but if you hit one, you need to have your vehicle and tires checked for damage.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
AASHTO Announces New Information Tool Designed to Educate about Trust Fund Crisis
WASHINGTON – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials unveiled a new informational tool designed to educate the public and elected officials about the potential impact of an insolvent Highway Trust Fund.
The “Nation at a Crossroads” is a web-based infographic, mobile app and printed brochure that provides a national perspective on surface transportation investments. It also provides state-level information to help tell the story of how federal funding affects transportation investment priorities.
“Surface transportation is a national issue, but it also is a very local issue that affects Americans on a personal level,” said Bud Wright, AASHTO executive director. “This information tool describes the national implications of not supporting the Highway Trust Fund, as well as how transportation will be impacted on a state and local level.”
The information included in the infographic was collected from AASHTO members as well as industry sources such as the US Department of Transportation, TRIP, American Public Transportation Association, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The web-based version of the infographic is available at http://invest.transportation.org, and the mobile app version for both iOS and Android is available for download at http://invest.transportation.org/app.