Avoiding Potholes
Wisconsin winters can be tough on our roads, creating potholes as the temperatures warm up, which can cause damage to your cars and tires.
While avoiding a pothole is your best course of action, it’s not always possible. So, while you’re driving on these pothole ridden roads, just keep these seven tips in mind and you can help minimize the damage.
7 Tips to Minimize Damage When Hitting a Pothole
- The first is to just take it slow, but make sure to get off the brakes before encountering the pothole. This will reduce the load on the suspension and the impact force.
- Do not tailgate. Give some space to the vehicle ahead of you, and should that vehicle fail to avoid a pothole, you’ll give yourself the time to react and avoid the same fate.
- Be careful of water-filled potholes. It’s impossible to know how deep that crater will be, so it’s best not to drive through it if it can be avoided.
- Keep your tires properly inflated and this will give your car added protection from potholes.
- Hold that steering wheel tight at the 9 and 3 o’clock position. Potholes can cause a violent jolt to your car, so it’s very important you have a solid grip on the steering wheel. Otherwise, your car can veer into the next lane or you could lose control entirely.
- Never swerve violently to miss a pothole. Jerking the steering wheel can cause loss of control and greater damage, injury or even death. Keep in mind that if you must swerve into oncoming lanes to miss a pothole, you should only do it if the way is clear. You are better off hitting a pothole rather than hitting oncoming traffic head on.
- And lastly, stay focused on driving. Being distracted can make you miss seeing or reacting to potholes.
If you should hit a pothole and you notice any issues, stop on by Wilde East Towne Honda, and one of our friendly service advisors can perform an inspection to see if there is any damage.
For more automotive tips, check out our video library and other blogs, and follow us on social media! And check out our current service specials to see what we are offering today.
Pothole Patrol
The City of Madison has a Pothole Patrol. Pothole Patrol is part of the Streets Division who receive reports of pothole locations. If you see a pothole, please report it so it can be repaired. For reports on the east side, call (608)246-4532, for reports on the west side, call (608)266-4681. For more information about Pothole Patrol, visit: www.cityofmadison.com/
