Surge in Montreal pothole reports so far this year, city says

The pothole season began early in Montreal this year.

Potholes are aplenty on city streets due to wear and tear on the roads and random weather patterns, with drivers performing slalom maneuvres to avoid them.

"When they’re in front of you, well, the worst thing is starting to go around it or do something really crazy with your car," said CAA Quebec spokesperson Nicolas Ryan.

On Friday, he gave his assessment of the state of our roads: "We have the worst roads in the country!"

In an email to CTV News, the City of Montreal says the number of pothole reports received by 311 since the beginning of the year is up more than 60 per cent from last year. The city blames the fluctuations in our weather.

The city and CAA Quebec both recommend people call 311 to report a pothole.

Drivers who have damaged their vehicles due to a pothole and want to be compensated need to prove neglect on the city's part, Ryan explained.

"Let's say there's a hole in the street. You've called 311 about 20 times to tell them about that hole," he said. "You're going to need to prove that through all those 20 calls, they did nothing about it. That's the second thing that you have to prove and that you might get some money back. So it's difficult, but it's not impossible."

One driver told CTV News he has damaged his car before in a pothole and now really tries to avoid them; otherwise, with inflation, the cost of repairs can be more costly.