"Potholes 101"

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

21 Apr 2006 04:59 PM

Do you find that often we think we are immune to a situation until we find ourselves smack in the middle of it? It's true for major incidents and minor ones like, say, damaging your vehicle by driving right into a pothole. The tow-truck driver called it a "springtime rite of passage." I call it getting a crash-course in potholes... or "Potholes 101."

Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the roadway, freezes, expands, and thaws, resulting in air pockets in the pavement. The pocket collapses to open a new pothole. Damage from potholes range from damaged control arms to misaligned wheels and tire blowouts.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) offers these tips to help protect vehicles against the jarring experience of a pothole encounter:

1. Maintain full air pressure in all tires to provide as much cushion as possible between the pothole and the rim of the tire. Consult the vehicle owner's manual for the correct pressure.

2. Leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Before swerving around a pothole, be sure to check surrounding traffic.

3. If a pothole cannot be avoided, slow down. Hitting a pothole at high-speed increases the chance of damage to tires, wheels, shocks, struts or springs.

4. When driving over a pothole-filled road, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control.

5. Do not brake when directly over a pothole. Applying the brakes causes the car's weight to shift to the front of the wheel and can increase damage from the impact.

6. Beware of water that may be concealing a deep pothole.

Indications that your vehicle has poor wheel alignment or suspension damage caused by potholes include uneven wear or lumps on the tire, recurring loss of tire pressure, the vehicle pulling to one side, an off-center or cocked steering wheel, and vibrations from the wheel area. A broken shock or strut from a pothole encounter could alter the steering and handling of your vehicle and create dangers when driving at high speeds or in tight corners.

But, perhaps, the best advice I can give is to be an observant driver and don't think pothole encounters can't happen to you!

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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