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RHODE ISLAND — Dodging potholes could become a sport in Rhode Island, which ranks No. 12 in the country for axle-jarring craters, according to a new analysis of Google searches for pothole-related terms from USA Today.
Providence ranks No. 34 for potholes in U.S. cities, according to the analysis.
Potholes are formed when the top layer of pavement and the sub-base beneath can no longer support the weight of traffic. Small cracks expand over time, allowing water to seep in. Hitting a pothole can result in expensive repairs that insurance won’t always cover.
USA Today based its analysis on Google Trends data from 2020 to 2023 for terms such as “pothole,” “potholes,” “pothole repair,” “pothole damage” and “pothole complaint.” Each term was given a search index number, which was then used to generate composite scores for cities and states.
According to the analysis, Washington, Minnesota and Michigan with freeze-thaw cycles have the distinction of having the most pothole problems. There were exceptions. Among states with warmer climates, Tennessee, California and Georgia were in the top 10.
Among cities, with warmer climates, Los Angeles ranked second behind New York City and just ahead of Minneapolis in pothole-related searches. Nashville and San Francisco also ranked high.
In 2022, about 44 million drivers paid an average of $460 each last year to have their vehicles repaired after hitting potholes, according to recent AAA data. The number of pothole-related repairs to vehicles shot up about 57 percent between 2021 and 2022, the data shows.
The same drivers had an average of two pothole-related repairs, leading AAA to conclude that “America’s roadways need immediate attention” and repairs should be a priority for local government officials and transportation departments.
AAA advised drivers to scan the road ahead to reduce the likelihood of hitting a pothole and be aware that standing water may disguise a large crater. Dive through it slowly if you can’t avoid it. With any pothole, reduce your speed safely and avoid braking abruptly, particularly as you go over the pothole. Hitting a pothole at higher speeds increases the likelihood of knocking the wheels out of alignment, which can affect the steering, or even bend or break the suspension components.
After hitting a pothole, watch for changes in how the vehicle handles, excessive vibration and uneven wear on tires, which could indicate problems with the suspension requiring an alignment or shocks, according to AAA.
Read the full report from USA Today.
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WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Two people are dead and another person seriously hurt after a crash involving two vehicles on the highway in Warwick Saturday.
Rhode Island State Police said the crash happened around 1:34 p.m. on the ramp from Route 113 West to I-95 South.
According to police, a Hyundai SUV that was driving in the middle lane of the highway started to drift to the right, crossed the first lane, and then crossed onto the on-ramp lane. The car struck the guardrail twice before driving through the grass median.
The Hyundai then struck the driver’s side of a Mercedes SUV that was on the ramp, causing the Mercedes to roll over and come to a rest. The impact sent the Hyundai over the guardrail and down an embankment.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were both pronounced dead at the hospital.
A woman who was in the Mercedes was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.
State police said all lanes of traffic were reopened by 4:30 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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A federal judge on Friday tossed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit aiming to force Rhode Island to hand over its voter information as part of the Trump administration’s push to acquire voter data from several states.
Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy wrote that federal law does not allow the DOJ “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here,” siding with Rhode Island election officials. She added that the DOJ did not provide evidence to suggest that Rhode Island violated election law.
McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote that she sided with the similar decision in Oregon. That decision ruled that the DOJ was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists.
“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” she said in her ruling.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) praised McElroy’s decision. He said in a statement that the Trump administration “seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states.”
“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to – or need for – the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” he said. “Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”
The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.
The DOJ called for the voter lists as it investigated Rhode Island’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.
The DOJ sued at least 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C., in December demanding their respective voter data. This data includes birth dates, names and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 12 states have given or said they will give the DOJ their voter registration lists, according to a tracker operated by the Brennan Center for Justice.
The department stated after it lost a similar suit against Massachusetts earlier this month that it had “sweeping powers” to access the voter data and that, if states fail to comply, courts have a “limited, albeit vital, role” in directing election officers on behalf of the administration to produce the records. The DOJ cited the Civil Rights Act as being intended to unearth alleged election law violations.
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