During the winter months, the occurrence of potholes increases due to the freezing temperatures and thawing. Road surfaces may begin to crack, which over time, forms potholes.
No matter where you live in the city, it can be extremely frustrating coming across a pothole; especially when there is no way to drive around them. In this article, we’ll provide some tips that’ll help you minimise the damage caused, helping you to negate the risk of costly car repairs.
Helpful driving habits
Unfortunately, potholes are often hard to spot, making them almost impossible to avoid. However, there are a few habits that you can practise when driving to prevent serious damage to your vehicle.
Firstly, if you do spot a pothole, be sure to slow down as you drive over it. We suggest you keep enough space between you and the vehicle in front to ensure you have a clear vision of the road surface ahead of you.
If you’re forced to drive over a pothole, keep a firm hold on the steering wheel so that you retain full control. You shouldn’t attempt to break when driving over a pothole as you could damage your wheel further. Try to slow down prior to getting close instead. Any sudden movements like braking and swerving can cause damage to your vehicle and you could become a hazard on the road.
If and when you are driving over puddles, keep in mind that there may be a pothole hidden underneath. Again, stick to slowing down before approaching the puddle and hold firmly onto your steering wheel.
Good tyre condition
Your vehicle’s tyres go through a lot; dealing with various types of weather and road conditions, high speeds and long distances. Potholes can be one of the biggest things that take a toll on a tyre, however.
If your tyres are in a poor condition already, there is a higher risk of potholes causing damage to your vehicle. The same is the case if your tyres are under-inflated.
The impact of the sudden dips in the road can have a negative knock-on effect on your car. On the flip side, tyres with too much air can also be problematic for driving over potholes. Take a look at your owners manual to make sure that your tyre pressure is at the recommended level.
Regular service checks
Driving over potholes can be problematic for your vehicle’s suspension. If you begin to feel the impact of every bump in the road there is a high possibility you are having issues with your suspension. Regularly driving over potholes with a faulty suspension can further lead to damage to your vehicle.
We strongly recommend you get your car looked at as soon as you can to avoid further complications.