Potholes Are No Match For Preparation

With winter comes potholes – that’s what I’ll say about that. They’re everywhere these days, especially with the weather getting a little warmer and then suddenly getting colder again, and they do pose a significant danger to our vehicles. Here are some tips on dealing with potholes and making sure you stay safe on a road that is fraught with danger.

The way potholes are formed is that if there is a small crack in the pavement, water can and will get into that crack. When the water freezes, it expands and weakens the pavement, creating a larger crack that will, with exposure to the repeated stress of vehicles driving over it, turn into a pothole.

A great tip for avoiding driving straight through a pothole is to try and avoid any larger puddles on the road. The puddles could be shallow standing water, but they could also be hiding deep potholes beneath the surface.

What happens if you hit a pothole? Hopefully, you approached the pothole slowly, so the damage should be minimal. However, if you hit a deep one (or hit a pothole at a speed) and think it may have damaged your vehicle, get over to the side of the road safely and then inspect your vehicle. You can’t visually assess things like the alignment, but you can see if there are problems with your bumpers and tires. When you continue driving, if your vehicle wants to go a little bit to the left or right, then the pothole could have thrown off your alignment, which should be taken to the shop to have repaired.

What to do after? Call your local Department of Transportation or Department of Public Works to report the pothole. Even if someone else has already reported it, it’s just more positive reinforcement to make sure that the dangerous pothole will get filled in faster.