Reasons to Avoid Potholes

Dodging potholes can add a little extra stress to your daily commute. However, maneuvering around those road hazards is well worth your time and effort! This post will cover a few reasons to avoid potholes and address some of the damage caused by potholes in Athens County, OH:

• Steering column: A vehicle’s alignment can get thrown off for a variety of different reasons. However, potholes are often to blame. A large pothole can damage your steering column components, meaning your steering wheel won’t be aligned with your tires. Be sure to get this issue sorted out as soon as possible, as driving with a damaged steering column is dangerous.
• Suspension: Your car’s suspension system helps ensure you have a smooth commute, even if you have to drive over a few potholes along the way. Hitting one too many potholes can throw off your suspension. Driving a vehicle with a damaged suspension system leads to problems with other components of the car, so be sure to get that checked out right away.
• Tires: Another one of the biggest reasons to avoid potholes in Athens County, OH is to preserve your four tires! Even if they’re brand new, a pothole can cause a flat tire or create a slow leak that’ll lead to a loss of pressure. Ensure your tires last for as long as possible by dodging every pothole in sight.

Signs of damage

You don’t have to be a mechanic to notice when your car has been damaged by potholes. Here are a few of the signs that your car is in trouble:

• Trouble steering:You shouldn’t have to fight your steering wheel to keep your car going straight. If that’s the case, your alignment is off, and it might’ve been damaged by a pothole.
• Flat tire: Flat tires aren’t all necessarily caused by potholes or other road hazards, but they’re often the culprit! Even if it wasn’t caused by a pothole, pull over and replace your flat tire instead of attempting to drive on it.
• Bent rim:A bent rim might not seem like the end of the world, but that problem will only worsen, and it puts your wheel’s integrity at risk. Bring your car to a mechanic to repair the wheel right away.

Tips for avoiding potholes

The good news is that staying away from those potholes isn’t impossible. Follow these tips to keep your car safe:

• Leave extra space: Tailgating behind the car in front of you is never a good idea. On top of leading to accidents, driving bumper to bumper makes it far more difficult to see and avoid potholes. Leaving at least three seconds between you and the car ahead of you can make a world of difference.
• Keep your tires inflated: We’ve mentioned tire health several times among these reasons to avoid potholes in Athens County, OH. Before you hit the road, ensure your tires are properly inflated! Over-inflated or under-inflated tires are more prone to damage.

No matter the damage caused by potholes in Athens County, OH, our team at Dana’s Tire Center can fit it. We handle everything from steering column repair to tire replacement, so we’re your one-stop shop for remedying pothole problems!

Categorised in: Auto Repair

This post was written by Writer