Reminds me of this section[2] from "How Engineers Create the World" by Bill Hammack - an interesting but perhaps scattered read.
Well, a pothole is not just a technological thing,
it's also a political entity. Usually we think of
European nations as steeped in governmental regulation,
and the United States as a free market, but actually
the opposite occurs in building roads. In the United States
the government sets specifications and asks contractors
to meet them. Once done with the road they have no
more responsibility.
Contrast this to France where the contractors must come
up with their own specifications and guarantee their work.
This means that if a pothole developers the contractor has
to fix it. But in the united States, once the job is done,
as long as it has met specifications, the contractor is no
longer liable.
2. https://i.redd.it/uthzdyul53fy.png