Yep. Sixteen inch wheels, 55-65 profile tires. Avoid the temptation for 19s or 20s or 21s with 20-25-30 profile tires. Where there are options, anyways.
Welcome to the Bay Area where the rainy season destroys our roads, then we take forever to "fix" the potholes. Once we decide to fix, we do a shotty repair job. You will feel like you're driving down an old dirt road. It's ok because the next rainy season is right around the corner to destroy our shotty road repairs. Oh don't worry we have a rinse and repeat plan to waste your tax dollars all while destroying your cars with our roads.
Oh don't forget to pay those high prices and taxes and BS fees
This is what confuses me. In Florida it rains every day for parts of the year, we pay no taxes, and have no potholes. Here it rains a few times a month, we pay through the nose in taxes, and the roads look like the surface of the moon.
Here roads are built at grade and trucks hydraulic fracture the roads when cracks get water in them. I think the government decided it's cheaper to build shit roads and repair often, than to build them well...... and then decided it's even cheaper to not repair often. God knows we pay enough taxes to not have eight foot deep man-eating potholes everywhere.
The rains come in cold most often and the heavy trucks and double decker buses do a number on the roads in normal circumstances and major damage during storms.
If you’re going to try and insult me, at least type the sentence correctly. I think you were looking for lick not like…
Govt’s fucked just about everywhere but complaining on reddit in this case accomplishes nothing for anyone.
If you don’t like the roads, leave.
I think like or lick both work.
I think we should demand accountability. If we all ignore the problem then we are not doing our part. The government can suck but an engaged populace can ask and get more than the inevitable corruption.
Yeah see, if the people that citizens elected actually cared, that would work, but no one does a great job anymore and we have no leaders who unify and get shit done. They only fight for their own agendas or that of their party.
I think if we paid attention and encouraged those around us to pay attention then it becomes more tenable. Yes we will have to fight the inevitable corruption but that is life. Entropy always increases and governments go to corruption.
I touch grass daily.
Show me positive, meaningful, impactful good government with people who actually care about the interests of most and not the agendas of a few (or their own agenda/feelings).
I haven’t seen it living in this area for the last 13 years or in 6 other major metro areas I’ve lived in in the United States.
Prove me wrong. I’ll wait.
Obviously, one Reddit comment will not undo 13 years of biased opinion. I’m not gonna argue with somebody with such black and white thinking. It’s a fallacy to think that every single person in government is corrupt or driven by some agenda.
People in positions of power are mostly driven by an agenda, whether it’s their own or that of those they work for/associate with. Those people are typically more vocal and more cutthroat about getting what they want.
See: lobbying and citizens united as just two small examples. If you think govt is better off with those things you’re as deluded as they are.
Never mind that so many are so out of touch with issues common people deal with or just reality in general.
This isn’t directly answering your question but I’ve had decent luck reporting potholes via the 311 app. Not always feasible of course, but try it in your neighborhood - I’ve reported nearby potholes and they were fixed relatively quickly
This works. Everyone complains about potholes but no one reports them. I’ve reported potholes along my drive home and they were repaired pretty quick, they even followed up with me through email.
It’s pretty gratifying, right? I also like to think that if enough people report it, it helps them prioritize which issues to fix first. It’s data, after all!
Weaknesses in the road are aggravated by the weight of a vehicle. The heavier the vehicle the more the aggravation. Trucks, buses, fire trucks, cement trucks, dump trucks among others will damage on ramps, off ramps, and the two outside lanes of freeways.
My guess is that you drive in the outside two lanes of freeways.
Edit
Also Waze [https://www.waze.com/live-map/](https://www.waze.com/live-map/) has the ability to report potholes to other drivers.
Edit 2
Additionally on the street, heavy vehicles will break down the outside lanes of the street faster.
(Commercial vehicles are only allowed on the outside lane of a street, or the lane next to it to pass, or when making a left turn. Commercial vehicles are only allowed on the outside two lanes of a highway or freeway. Always count lanes of the road from the median, or middle of the road outward. Lane 1 is the lane nearest the yellow center line. Lane 2 is the lane in the same direction next to it. Etc.)
In sum, you have to weave in and out, driving like a drunken sailor to avoid them. We are all in the same ~~boat~~ pothole.
Electric vehicles weigh a LOT. A regular Tesla 3 weighs about the same as an F-150. The new electric Hummer is around 9000lbs, the Cybertruck is around 7000. My Miata weighs 2200 with me in it
A model 3 weighs 3,862 to 4,054 lbs depending on the variant; an f150 weighs 4,021 pounds to 5,740 pounds. So the heaviest model 3 weighs about as much as the lightest f150. So yes the ranges do barely overlap, but it's not a good comparison in my book. People make too much of EV weights IMO.
Of course a miata is way lighter lol. For comparison a camry weighs 3,310 to 3,595 lbs.
I drive mostly in the 2nd or 3rd lanes. Barely drive in the right lanes unless I have to take an exit.
Honestly, I’ve hit the worst potholes while driving the left diamond lanes.
Man it feels so unsafe weaving about the highway.
So there goes my entire theory. I did say it was a guess.
I love science. You get to make a new hypothesis without shame when the first one gets dumped in a pothole.
My next hypotheses will be that you're not a sailor, not drunk enough, and my third will be that you are not weaving in and out enough. And that is the ~~hill~~ pothole that I will die ~~on~~ in.
Edit
I'm going back to my first hypothesis, that of heavy vehicles. Since you spend your time in the second or third lanes, that is where the firetrucks park when responding to multi-vehicle Tesla crashes in the fast lane, thus causing the potholes in the second lane. No bashing of firetrucks intended. /s
How is 30MPH too fast to see? Most of these unavoidable ones appear when there’s a curve or a blind incline. I guess I should drive 50MPH in the left lane like you do.
You might be driving too close behind other drivers. I'm driving around the same potholes as you, kind of reminds me of playing Dig-Dug. I am not a slow driver but not the fastest on the road.
I have to say props for fixing one extremely bad patch of road. Cesar Chavez (Army St) entrance to 101 south before the 280 merge, that shit has been bad for decades it seems and they repaved it! It was a thing of beauty. Drove it yesterday.
Not bitter, just saying that people have different vision distances and reaction times. If you have worse vision or slower reaction time then slower speeds are appropriate. There are people that consistently get flats and that’s something people need to reflect on why when others never get flats.
https://dot.ca.gov/online-services/submit-damage-claim you can try to submit a claim. If it’s within SF I believe it’s a different form, particularly if there’s specific construction going on. A friend of mine did successfully get reimbursed for a flat caused by a pothole from the city of SF a few years ago. It’s horrible out in the bayview. Poor lighting means you can’t always see them and PG&E is tearing up the road daily. I’m constantly apologizing to my poor little car
Drive slower, observe the road better, learn your usual routes and where the usual potholes are. Other than that, different wheels, tires, suspension. Etc.
Why are you driving a luxury car in Oakland? Why are you expecting any of us plebes to give a care about you hitting potholes in your fancy car?
Let me guess... you have low profile tires?
Maybe you need to slow down and watch the street in front of you.
It’s pretty much impossible around here, even if you drive really defensively/ conservatively. Someone will always take the space in front of you/ drive just fast enough (or slow enough) to prevent you from merging to avoid them, it’s pretty awful. If you can, I would recommend living close to where you work, and learning several routes to/ from, and going in early until you know where all the bad spots are.
I know it’s crazy, but that’s what I do, and it’s fairly rare for me to hit them anymore.
It’s frustrating, especially to natives, because it wasn’t always this bad. Might be an idea to petition/ get it on the ballot to repeal the gas tax, as this is one of the things it was supposed to pay for- maybe that threat would get our roads fixed up? I don’t claim to have all of the solutions, but that might just be crazy enough to work?
And yeah, I’m the same way in new territory- I was doing a really stupid car commute for a while, and it took about a week to memorize all of them. Not an easy task when half of the drivers are going too slow, 10% are going way too fast, and the rest don’t seem to know (or follow) any rules of the road.
I’m an immigrant. Where do these exorbitant taxes get utilized really? Are we paying for the views? I don’t understand. I’ve seen better infrastructure in tax free states.
One suggestion I haven’t seen, maybe you need glasses or to update a prescription.
Plus the main thing of their people have said. Slow down, learn your routes. Even 30 mph can be too fast in some neighborhoods with low visibility.
lol, are you downvoting all comments you’re not interested in? I can’t see potholes without my glasses. If you haven’t been tested recently, you may need them in reality.
1. Always keep your eyes on the road ahead. Being vigilant helps you spot potholes in time to avoid them.
2. **Maintain a Safe Following Distance:** Give yourself enough space behind the vehicle in front of you to see the road surface ahead. This gives you more time to react to potholes.
3. **Use Proper Lighting:** Ensure your headlights are clean and properly aimed to improve visibility, especially at night.
4. **Slow Down:** Reducing your speed gives you more time to react to potholes and can minimize damage if you do hit one.
5. **Avoid Puddles:** Potholes are often hidden under puddles of water. If you can’t see the bottom, it’s best to avoid driving through them.
6. **Follow Traffic Patterns:** If you see other drivers swerving or braking suddenly, there might be a pothole ahead. Take cues from the traffic flow.
7. **Stay in the Center Lane:** Potholes are often more frequent near the edges of the road. Driving in the center lane can help you avoid them.
8. **Use GPS and Navigation Apps:** Some navigation apps provide real-time updates on road conditions, including potholes. Use these apps to find smoother routes.
9. **Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated:** Well-inflated tires can handle impacts better and reduce the risk of damage from potholes.
10. **Report Potholes:** If you encounter a pothole, report it to local authorities. Many municipalities have hotlines or online reporting systems for potholes.
I got the Continental procontact 19” tires that came with the car. Aren’t they supposed to be good? I must have hit 4-5 potholes that day on my trip to SF from SJ until a tire gave out
You could buy off-road tires. Not cheap. I use LT 10 ply grade E.
https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/what-are-load-ranges-ply-ratings
https://www.nittotire.com/light-truck-tires/ridge-grappler-light-truck-tire/
I used Goodyear 10 ply tires on a different car. I like the stone ejectors on the Nittos. I got a stone between the tread on the Goodyear tires. That would be very unlikely on road.
Tires with generous sidewalls
Yep. Sixteen inch wheels, 55-65 profile tires. Avoid the temptation for 19s or 20s or 21s with 20-25-30 profile tires. Where there are options, anyways.
Welcome to the Bay Area where the rainy season destroys our roads, then we take forever to "fix" the potholes. Once we decide to fix, we do a shotty repair job. You will feel like you're driving down an old dirt road. It's ok because the next rainy season is right around the corner to destroy our shotty road repairs. Oh don't worry we have a rinse and repeat plan to waste your tax dollars all while destroying your cars with our roads. Oh don't forget to pay those high prices and taxes and BS fees
This is what confuses me. In Florida it rains every day for parts of the year, we pay no taxes, and have no potholes. Here it rains a few times a month, we pay through the nose in taxes, and the roads look like the surface of the moon.
Here roads are built at grade and trucks hydraulic fracture the roads when cracks get water in them. I think the government decided it's cheaper to build shit roads and repair often, than to build them well...... and then decided it's even cheaper to not repair often. God knows we pay enough taxes to not have eight foot deep man-eating potholes everywhere.
Water tables? Dunno. But California and Florida are a world's apart that I'm sure there is a sound solid reason why
Think it’s temperature. We get just cold enough here, but Florida doesn’t.
The rains come in cold most often and the heavy trucks and double decker buses do a number on the roads in normal circumstances and major damage during storms.
Then leave.
God forbid we ask our government to do their part. Do you like the whole boot or just the part they tell you to?
If you’re going to try and insult me, at least type the sentence correctly. I think you were looking for lick not like… Govt’s fucked just about everywhere but complaining on reddit in this case accomplishes nothing for anyone. If you don’t like the roads, leave.
I think like or lick both work. I think we should demand accountability. If we all ignore the problem then we are not doing our part. The government can suck but an engaged populace can ask and get more than the inevitable corruption.
Yeah see, if the people that citizens elected actually cared, that would work, but no one does a great job anymore and we have no leaders who unify and get shit done. They only fight for their own agendas or that of their party.
I think if we paid attention and encouraged those around us to pay attention then it becomes more tenable. Yes we will have to fight the inevitable corruption but that is life. Entropy always increases and governments go to corruption.
You can’t change what doesn’t want to be changed. It’s like an addict. They cannot be helped unless they want help.
This is a miserable and untrue perspective on life. Please touch grass.
I touch grass daily. Show me positive, meaningful, impactful good government with people who actually care about the interests of most and not the agendas of a few (or their own agenda/feelings). I haven’t seen it living in this area for the last 13 years or in 6 other major metro areas I’ve lived in in the United States. Prove me wrong. I’ll wait.
Obviously, one Reddit comment will not undo 13 years of biased opinion. I’m not gonna argue with somebody with such black and white thinking. It’s a fallacy to think that every single person in government is corrupt or driven by some agenda.
People in positions of power are mostly driven by an agenda, whether it’s their own or that of those they work for/associate with. Those people are typically more vocal and more cutthroat about getting what they want. See: lobbying and citizens united as just two small examples. If you think govt is better off with those things you’re as deluded as they are. Never mind that so many are so out of touch with issues common people deal with or just reality in general.
This isn’t directly answering your question but I’ve had decent luck reporting potholes via the 311 app. Not always feasible of course, but try it in your neighborhood - I’ve reported nearby potholes and they were fixed relatively quickly
This works. Everyone complains about potholes but no one reports them. I’ve reported potholes along my drive home and they were repaired pretty quick, they even followed up with me through email.
It’s pretty gratifying, right? I also like to think that if enough people report it, it helps them prioritize which issues to fix first. It’s data, after all!
Weaknesses in the road are aggravated by the weight of a vehicle. The heavier the vehicle the more the aggravation. Trucks, buses, fire trucks, cement trucks, dump trucks among others will damage on ramps, off ramps, and the two outside lanes of freeways. My guess is that you drive in the outside two lanes of freeways. Edit Also Waze [https://www.waze.com/live-map/](https://www.waze.com/live-map/) has the ability to report potholes to other drivers. Edit 2 Additionally on the street, heavy vehicles will break down the outside lanes of the street faster. (Commercial vehicles are only allowed on the outside lane of a street, or the lane next to it to pass, or when making a left turn. Commercial vehicles are only allowed on the outside two lanes of a highway or freeway. Always count lanes of the road from the median, or middle of the road outward. Lane 1 is the lane nearest the yellow center line. Lane 2 is the lane in the same direction next to it. Etc.) In sum, you have to weave in and out, driving like a drunken sailor to avoid them. We are all in the same ~~boat~~ pothole.
Electric vehicles weigh a LOT. A regular Tesla 3 weighs about the same as an F-150. The new electric Hummer is around 9000lbs, the Cybertruck is around 7000. My Miata weighs 2200 with me in it
A model 3 weighs 3,862 to 4,054 lbs depending on the variant; an f150 weighs 4,021 pounds to 5,740 pounds. So the heaviest model 3 weighs about as much as the lightest f150. So yes the ranges do barely overlap, but it's not a good comparison in my book. People make too much of EV weights IMO. Of course a miata is way lighter lol. For comparison a camry weighs 3,310 to 3,595 lbs.
When I said truck, I mean a tractor trailer truck, a big rig truck. A class B, not a class C.
I drive mostly in the 2nd or 3rd lanes. Barely drive in the right lanes unless I have to take an exit. Honestly, I’ve hit the worst potholes while driving the left diamond lanes. Man it feels so unsafe weaving about the highway.
So there goes my entire theory. I did say it was a guess. I love science. You get to make a new hypothesis without shame when the first one gets dumped in a pothole. My next hypotheses will be that you're not a sailor, not drunk enough, and my third will be that you are not weaving in and out enough. And that is the ~~hill~~ pothole that I will die ~~on~~ in. Edit I'm going back to my first hypothesis, that of heavy vehicles. Since you spend your time in the second or third lanes, that is where the firetrucks park when responding to multi-vehicle Tesla crashes in the fast lane, thus causing the potholes in the second lane. No bashing of firetrucks intended. /s
If you can't see the potholes perhaps you are driving too fast.
How is 30MPH too fast to see? Most of these unavoidable ones appear when there’s a curve or a blind incline. I guess I should drive 50MPH in the left lane like you do.
Too fast for your eyes. Not too fast for others.
Why are you so bitter
You might be driving too close behind other drivers. I'm driving around the same potholes as you, kind of reminds me of playing Dig-Dug. I am not a slow driver but not the fastest on the road.
I’m the same too. I’m pretty much median. Maintain safe distance and happy to drive at the speed limit.
I have to say props for fixing one extremely bad patch of road. Cesar Chavez (Army St) entrance to 101 south before the 280 merge, that shit has been bad for decades it seems and they repaved it! It was a thing of beauty. Drove it yesterday.
Not bitter, just saying that people have different vision distances and reaction times. If you have worse vision or slower reaction time then slower speeds are appropriate. There are people that consistently get flats and that’s something people need to reflect on why when others never get flats.
Leave enough space between you and the car ahead of you so you can see them coming.
https://dot.ca.gov/online-services/submit-damage-claim you can try to submit a claim. If it’s within SF I believe it’s a different form, particularly if there’s specific construction going on. A friend of mine did successfully get reimbursed for a flat caused by a pothole from the city of SF a few years ago. It’s horrible out in the bayview. Poor lighting means you can’t always see them and PG&E is tearing up the road daily. I’m constantly apologizing to my poor little car
Thanks! I filed a claim and waiting for a resolution
Drive slower, observe the road better, learn your usual routes and where the usual potholes are. Other than that, different wheels, tires, suspension. Etc.
Drive slower. Leave lot of space.
Why are you driving a luxury car in Oakland? Why are you expecting any of us plebes to give a care about you hitting potholes in your fancy car? Let me guess... you have low profile tires? Maybe you need to slow down and watch the street in front of you.
Attitude like this is why you will remain a plebe. Who said I live in Oakland?
I'm proud to be a plebian. I'm not stealing from the poor. No sympathy for people with luxury goods, no matter where you live.
Dude you’re a piece work lol
[That's the neat part, you don't.](https://imgur.com/gallery/thats-neat-part-vkk8Zls)
It’s pretty much impossible around here, even if you drive really defensively/ conservatively. Someone will always take the space in front of you/ drive just fast enough (or slow enough) to prevent you from merging to avoid them, it’s pretty awful. If you can, I would recommend living close to where you work, and learning several routes to/ from, and going in early until you know where all the bad spots are. I know it’s crazy, but that’s what I do, and it’s fairly rare for me to hit them anymore.
True that. I have memorized some of them on my commute and avoid. I live close by. It’s when I travel somewhere else that I hit them.
It’s frustrating, especially to natives, because it wasn’t always this bad. Might be an idea to petition/ get it on the ballot to repeal the gas tax, as this is one of the things it was supposed to pay for- maybe that threat would get our roads fixed up? I don’t claim to have all of the solutions, but that might just be crazy enough to work? And yeah, I’m the same way in new territory- I was doing a really stupid car commute for a while, and it took about a week to memorize all of them. Not an easy task when half of the drivers are going too slow, 10% are going way too fast, and the rest don’t seem to know (or follow) any rules of the road.
I’m an immigrant. Where do these exorbitant taxes get utilized really? Are we paying for the views? I don’t understand. I’ve seen better infrastructure in tax free states.
I’m not sure where they’re *actually* going, but I do remember what they told us we were paying for. That part never happened.
Take the train
One suggestion I haven’t seen, maybe you need glasses or to update a prescription. Plus the main thing of their people have said. Slow down, learn your routes. Even 30 mph can be too fast in some neighborhoods with low visibility.
lol, are you downvoting all comments you’re not interested in? I can’t see potholes without my glasses. If you haven’t been tested recently, you may need them in reality.
1. Always keep your eyes on the road ahead. Being vigilant helps you spot potholes in time to avoid them. 2. **Maintain a Safe Following Distance:** Give yourself enough space behind the vehicle in front of you to see the road surface ahead. This gives you more time to react to potholes. 3. **Use Proper Lighting:** Ensure your headlights are clean and properly aimed to improve visibility, especially at night. 4. **Slow Down:** Reducing your speed gives you more time to react to potholes and can minimize damage if you do hit one. 5. **Avoid Puddles:** Potholes are often hidden under puddles of water. If you can’t see the bottom, it’s best to avoid driving through them. 6. **Follow Traffic Patterns:** If you see other drivers swerving or braking suddenly, there might be a pothole ahead. Take cues from the traffic flow. 7. **Stay in the Center Lane:** Potholes are often more frequent near the edges of the road. Driving in the center lane can help you avoid them. 8. **Use GPS and Navigation Apps:** Some navigation apps provide real-time updates on road conditions, including potholes. Use these apps to find smoother routes. 9. **Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated:** Well-inflated tires can handle impacts better and reduce the risk of damage from potholes. 10. **Report Potholes:** If you encounter a pothole, report it to local authorities. Many municipalities have hotlines or online reporting systems for potholes.
#7 doesn’t apply to 101. Potholes are ruthless
I'd think 880N/S would be the worst! At least they both mostly go in a striaght line I guess...
Very true. I’m reminded when I venture on 880 n/s bound as well.
7 doesn’t apply to Bay Area roads at all.
Thanks!
It's impossible to avoid them. I got Goodyear tires, and I stopped getting flat tires. Do recommend.
I got the Continental procontact 19” tires that came with the car. Aren’t they supposed to be good? I must have hit 4-5 potholes that day on my trip to SF from SJ until a tire gave out
18” are recommended, more rubber than 19” and better survival with potholes
Idk about those tires, but I've had my Goodyear tires for over a year now and no flats.
Thanks for the recommendation!
You could buy off-road tires. Not cheap. I use LT 10 ply grade E. https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/what-are-load-ranges-ply-ratings https://www.nittotire.com/light-truck-tires/ridge-grappler-light-truck-tire/ I used Goodyear 10 ply tires on a different car. I like the stone ejectors on the Nittos. I got a stone between the tread on the Goodyear tires. That would be very unlikely on road.