There are so many things you have to worry about when taking a seat behind the wheel and heading out onto the road.
From reckless and under-the-influence drivers to long traffic jams and treacherous weather conditions, the risks and hazards can come thick and fast. Another common issue for road users to deal with is potholes.
Whether you’re simply commuting to work or heading off on a cross-country road trip, there’s a good chance you’ll come across some potholes along the way. These holes in the road can cause serious auto accidents and major damages to your vehicle too, and unfortunately, there’s not a lot an individual person can do to prevent them, as road repairs are the responsibility of city authorities.
Statistics show that California is the worst state in the US for potholes and bad roads in general, with big cities like Los Angeles and California topping the charts for worst road conditions New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Seattle also feature heavily on these kinds of lists, and the truth is that if you’re traveling to any big city in the US, potholes will probably be a problem. Here are some tips to help you navigate these common hazards.
Avoid Speeding Up
One of the most common mistakes people can make when it comes to dealing with potholes is to actually speed up when they see one. It seems that some people feel that if they’re going fast enough, their vehicle will glide right over the hole without even taking any damage, but in reality, car physics just don’t work that way.
Speeding up could actually raise your risks of ending up in an accident or suffering severe damage to your vehicle. Instead of speeding up, do the opposite; slowing down will give your car a better chance of navigating the hole more gently, as well as giving you more time to potentially avoid the pothole altogether
Keep Your Eyes on the Road
Obviously, one of the best tips to keep in mind if you want to avoid potholes is to make sure you keep your eyes on the road and your concentration levels high, especially when driving in big cities like San Jose, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.
If you aren’t able to spot potholes in time, you’ll be far more likely to drive right into them, but staying alert and aware of your surroundings and the conditions of the road ahead will give you a good chance of spotting holes ahead of time and reacting sensibly to the danger.
Keep Your Distance
Following on from the point above, it’s also important to keep your distance from the vehicle ahead of you if you want to steer clear of potholes. Tailgating someone too closely could make it impossible for you to see any potholes, as the car in front will be blocking your view.
So not only is tailgating dangerous in general, but it can also put you at real risk of pothole damage. To avoid this, make sure to keep a good distance between your car and the car in front of you at all times, leaving yourself enough space to spot potholes and respond accordingly
Be Wary of Puddles or Icy Patches
If you’re driving on a cold or rainy day, pay close attention to puddles or icy patches on the road ahead. It’s highly possible that they could be hiding a pothole underneath.
Puddles tend to build up over potholes and mask them from view, and it’s common for those puddles to freeze over in cold, winter conditions, giving you yet another hazard to worry about. So keep a close eye on the road at all times and slow down if you see puddles or icy spots.
Take Evasive Action with Care
Most people don’t want to drive right into a pothole, and rightly so. They’ll usually try to avoid it by veering off to one side or the other. This is a perfectly natural reaction, and it’s wise to avoid letting your tires fall into potholes if you can. However, you need to do so carefully.
Don’t just veer to the side without taking the time to look around and evaluate the situation. Avoid crossing over the central line of the street and potentially blocking oncoming traffic, and look out for other hazards on the side of the road for you to avoid.
Final Word
Potholes can cause a lot of problems, but knowing how to handle them will put you in a much stronger position and massively reduce your risk of accidents. Keep these tips in mind to avoid pothole disasters.
