City pothole damage claims were way down in 2023

It's probably because the weather wasn't as hard on local road, says the city's risk manager

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Has the pothole situation in Sault Ste. Marie been improving?

According to the city’s latest data, the number of pothole claims filed within city limits took a notable dive in 2023.

Just 73 vehicle damage claims related to the pesky road hazards were filed by area residents over the course of the year – around 100 fewer than 2022.

Of those claims, the city says just 10 per cent were successful in 2023, compared to 19 per cent in the previous year.

Number of pothole claims filed in the last five years:

2023 – 73
2022 – 175
2021 – 25
2020 – 59
2019 – 156

In an email to SooToday, the city’s risk manager Shelley Olar says the decline in claims from 2022 to 2023 is “likely due to the weather the city experienced last winter.”

“Potholes are created from the freeze/thaw weather cycles that we experience during the winter months in northern Ontario,” she wrote.

Olar wants to remind residents there is a ten-day reporting period for bringing forward a claim under the Municipal Act. Once a claim is submitted, it is forwarded to an independent insurance adjuster to investigate the reported loss, she explains.

“Information is gathered from Public Works and if the City is found that it has not satisfied Minimum Maintenance Standards within the Municipal Act then the City would be considered negligent and compensation for damages would be considered.”

Olar says the investigation is mainly focused on:

Road classification
Patrol records
Maintenance records
Weather conditions
Previous incidents and complaints

“Contributory negligence is consistently applied to the reasonable value of repairs for pothole claims,” she wrote. “Motorists should be able to notice and avoid almost any road hazard under the principles of defensive driving, should be driving a properly maintained vehicle and driving according to weather conditions.”

Most claims are investigated and completed within 90 days.

Residents can submit a pothole claim or report a pothole by clicking here.