Driving safety starts
with the road

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A couple of weeks ago, a pothole opened up along Kailua Road. One day it was a small chip in the pavement, and the next it was a gaping chasm, perfect for swallowing up car tires and small children. Cars would hit it and fly out sideways, landing half off the road in front of the apartment buildings where children play.

The pothole got bigger. No road crews came to fix it. I half-expected to see Evel Knievel revving up for a record-breaking motorcycle jump over its yawning expanse. Crowds would cheer and women swoon.

One day I noticed the hole was patched. I drove over it in my little Miata. My head almost hit the top of the car; my teeth slammed together. Whoever patched the hole apparently dumped the asphalt in, rounded it off a few inches higher than the road and tamped it down with his foot. Now you need a four-wheel drive to get over the thing. But at least it blends in with the rest of the road.

--Nancy Christenson McNamee

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