Potholes are on the rise and it's on purpose

If you google info about potholes in America, it will give statistics that the numbers are on the rise and the highest it's ever been. In 2021, approximately one in ten drivers experienced vehicle damage from potholes. Repair costs averaged nearly $600 per incident, totaling a staggering $26.5 billion nationwide.

Between 2011 and 2016, pothole-related damages amounted to about $3 billion annually. We know that Ford and GM alone lobby federal and state level transportation departments in order to influence highway planning, safety requirements, bridges, road infrastructure, etc. This is not a theory. It's in the news.

What if they're playing the long game? Pay off government officials to slow down on repairs for some made up reason that sounds legitimate on paper to get drivers back to the dealerships for repairs.

Even if you replace tires themselves, those brands are owned by the big three anyway. I think it's all part of a plan to get drivers to spend more money.

It sounds like the most unsexiest of conspiracy theories: incredibly dry and boring and I think they like it that way so you don't care too much. Personally, I see potholes everywhere and I don't see a reason why they should ever exist. Potholes are just money pits and it's all part of a secret business model.