TriHealth Bridge

February 21, 2014

Recent weather conditions have created countless craters in roadways that can cause costly damage to your vehicle. TriHealth Occupational and Environmental Safety wants you to help you stay out of harm's way: follow these tips to avoid potholes on your way to and from work.

What Causes Potholes?

Potholes are often a masked menace, hidden from view until the depths of their damage-causing dips are too late to avoid.

They form when roads freeze and thaw, which erodes the dirt beneath them, weakening the blacktop in the process. Add frequent traffic to the mix, and the road begins to crumble. Eventually, the street erodes even more and develops a crater we know as a pothole.

Pothole damage accounts for nearly 500,000 insurance claims each year.

How to Avoid Potholes 

  • Steer clear. The best course of action is to steer clear of potholes. If you can do it safely, simply swerve around them. This will help you avoid damage altogether.
  • Leave space. When driving, make sure you leave enough room between you and the vehicles ahead of you. Doing so will help you spot potholes and give you enough time to avoid them.
  • Watch for water. Pay special attention to potholes filled with water, which can be especially dangerous, because you don't know their depth until it's too late.
  • Slow down. If you are travelling on a pothole-filled road, slow down. Driving slowly can minimize the damage to your car if you hit a pothole.
  • But don't slam the brakes. At some point, despite using the utmost of precaution, you might hit a pothole. To minimize damage, resist the urge to slam on the brakes. Hitting the brakes tilts the vehicle forward and puts extra stress on the front suspension, which is usually the first part of the vehicle to strike a pothole.

Spotting Damage from Potholes 

The first thing to check is your vehicle's alignment and shock absorption systems.

Shocks and struts tend to take the brunt of the damage because they compress and expand using hydraulic oil to alleviate the effects of driving on uneven surfaces. When a jolt is transferred to the vehicle, it travels from the tire and wheel directly to the shock absorber.

Large potholes can cause the shock or strut to bottom out completely. The shock is then transferred to the coil or leaf spring of the vehicle. Over time, the shock-absorbing springs and struts become less resilient. You'll notice a much rougher ride and less responsive steering.

Your vehicle's alignment can also be damaged by potholes.  A misaligned car tends to pull to one direction instead of maintaining a straight path. Proper wheel alignment is important to maintain the lifespan of tires and ensure safe handling in an emergency.

If your vehicle hits a pothole and experiences a significant jolt, get it inspected, especially if you experience these signs of trouble:

  1. Low tire pressure. Tires should maintain optimum pressure to work properly. If you hit a pothole, tire pressure might be affected. Routinely check the pressure in your tires and monitor their appearance for signs of problems, like bulges or blisters on the sides. Spots of rust on tire rims may signal that your rims have been bent, which will also lead to pressure leaks.
  2. Your vehicle is misaligned. If your car pulls to one side when you're trying to drive straight, your alignment is probably out of sync.
  3. You have less control of your car. If you feel your car swaying or rocking during turns, bouncing quite a bit or if you bottom out on the road after hitting a few potholes, the shock absorber and suspension may be damaged.

If you've damaged your vehicle when you hit a pothole, you can submit an insurance claim. The damage may be covered under Collision coverage, and your deductible will apply. Your insurance adjuster will make a determination of fault based on the details surrounding the loss. Tires are generally excluded in the policy from damage, but the rims may be covered if they are damaged.

Sources

"How Can I Tell If My Car Has Pothole Damage?" WiseGEEK. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2013. <http://www.wisegeek.org/how-can-i-tell-if-my-car-has-pothole-damage.htm?PartnerID=Ford&RefID=&EmailID=>.

Overall Rating: