You better have an ice pack handy because these potholes will shake you around so bad you might get whiplash. Don’t pick up your drink if you’re about to hit a pothole, otherwise that $10 frappe from Starbucks will spill all over your interior. You know it’s bad when you have to turn on your brights in the city at night, because a pothole might commit third degree murder on your tires. The Wheat City? Nope. Welcome to Brandon Manitoba, The Pothole City! Where there are bumpy roads and, of course, alarmingly large potholes!

Seriously, our roads are appalling. This has been my hometown since I was six years old, and I have never seen our roads in the shape they are in today. As I have referenced above, with our roads in awful shape there is a considerable risk of seriously damaging your vehicle if you do not see a pothole in time. Strong impacts to a vehicle can include weakened tire belts, damaged shock absorbers and struts, punctured tires, damage to the vehicle’s front-end suspension, and if hit hard enough potholes can even affect the wheel alignment of the vehicle.

I do not understand why the City of Brandon has been this negligent about the condition of our roads, because car repairs to fix the damage caused are certainly not cheap. Factor car repairs into our current economy and it creates a financially stressful situation that could be lessened if the City of Brandon would fix our roads. Thankfully, they have begun the process, despite being long overdo. As disruptive as construction is, I will take the disruptions and detours over the constant fear of damaging my car every time I drive around town.

Please remember to be mindful of the roads as you are driving around town. Do not travel over the speed limit, and stay alert to allow yourself time to react when you see a pothole in the road and need to slow down. Do not travel too closely behind people, in case they need to slow down because of a pothole.

Drive safely everyone!