*Thud thud* This is a sound that haunts my dreams. *Thud Thud* Why you might ask? Well, this is the sound my tires make when they hit a pothole. The last time my car hit a particularly deep pothole, it had a LOT of damage. A tire deflated, a good portion of the underside of the car was shifted and cracked, so now even the sound gives me a fair bit of anxiety. What makes it worse is that you can’t always avoid the potholes. Narrow roads, large trucks, you do the math. It’s not looking good for you friend. *THUD THUD*
For this reason, it’s important to know what kind of steps you can take the minimize the effects of the pothole. But what can you do to avoid them, besides moving somewhere warmer or resigning to never leave your home again? There are actually several steps you can take that are a lot less extreme, and while it isn’t always easy, these tips should at least help slightly.
Alternatives to spending your life as a hermit living in constant fear of potholes:
Leaving more space between you and the driver ahead of you. This is just a solid practice to be in the habit of anyway, but if you are all up on the driver in front of you, how would you be able to see what fresh havoc has appeared before the other driver. After all, the more space between you and the other guy, the more likely you are to notice a pothole and calmly dodge it like you’re in the Matrix.
Slowing down. Thing one, much like giving space to the other driver, slowing down enables you to actually react when a crater appears on the pavement. In addition to reaction time, if you come at a pothole at 75 MPH you car will 100% feel it and more than likely suffer. At say 20 MPH, your car may just get out of there unscathed.
Watching out for water. Water on the road is a lie and will TRICK YOU. You might be looking at the road thinking to yourself, “Hey, this is fine. Look at how flat and fine this road is.” PLOT TWIST POTHOLE and all of a sudden, your right tire is at an angle that is in no way conducive to driving. After a rainstorm or snow, potholes can fill with water. That makes them harder to see, and harder to judge how deep they are. That makes them even more mysterious and dangerous! So when in doubt, avoid them.
Pothole damage accounts for nearly 500,000 insurance claims every year! So if you’ve been a victim of one, you’re not alone. That’s why we’re making this blog post in the first place. So remember, it’s important to stay alert, slow down, and keep an eye out, to avoid some costly damage and some serious stress. Should you fall victim to a pothole, know that Harchelroad Motors of Imperial and Wauneta is here to help you out! So stop by today to get that pothole damage fixed up!
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