INDIANAPOLIS -- After you've hit that same pothole in that same spot for what seems like the 10th time this week, it's time to do something about it.
While you'll likely find plenty of commuters to commiserate with on social media, collectively complaining about the hundreds of holes around the Circle City, posting to Facebook about your angst won't get that tire-eater patched for next time.
Take a look at the city's pothole map below. Yes, the city has an online pothole map, and it's more blob than map due to the amount of reports.
The red dots are active potholes in the city. The other dots are fixed ones. To see just the actives potholes, click the lines in the top right, then legend, then uncheck the closed potholes.
The map below is loading the location of about 1,000 potholes across the city. Seriously. Load times may vary. And by vary, we mean will take a few minutes. Grab a sip of that coffee. Click here for the direct link to the map.
How To Report A Pothole
Ready to be a positive contributing member of your community? Great, let's report that sucker in the right-hand lane of "Insert Street Name Here".
If the road is a U.S. highway, state road or an interstate, it falls under INDOT's jurisdiction.
If that's the case, you can report it to one of INDOT's six district offices.
Check what district that section of road belongs to, then click here to find the correct phone number or email address.
If the road is an Indianapolis city road, you'll need to report it to the city.
Do that by clicking here, then find the spot on the road with the pothole.
How Do Potholes Occur?
If you notice more potholes this time of year, you're not crazy. First, the pavement strips or cracks, then water penetrates the cracks, softening the base under the pavement.
When the temperature drops, that water freezes into ice, which increases the disruption beneath the top layer of pavement. This happens over and over until the pavement weakens.
That will eventually form a hole, which will continue to get worse until it gets fixed.
What Happens When Your Car Is Damaged
Under certain circumstances, you can be reimbursed for damaged caused to your car by a pothole.
But be warned, it's rare to receive that check from Indianapolis.
PREVIOUS | CALL 6: Indy approves few pothole damage claims
Only about 6 percent, or 1 out of every 17 claims gets paid out.
It is kind of therapeutic to share stories of the same misfortune as your fellow drivers, comparing where the bigger potholes are as if they were fishing tales, but come on, let's get this sorted out. Pick up the phone or sit down at your computer and report the ones you see. It takes a village.
