How to Avoid the Perils of Potholes

Let a professional mechanic determine if damage has been caused to your vehicle

By Car Care Council | Published on 03.20.2010

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As the ravages of winter subside and temperatures rise, there is probably a pothole out there with your name on it, the Car Care Council cautions.

Record cold temperatures, snow and rainfall in many parts of the country have created the perfect storm for the motorists’ dreaded “perils of potholes period.” Santa Barbara may avoid the worst that weather can dole out elsewhere, but local roadways — especially Highway 101 — have been hard hit this year.

Drivers know immediately when they hit a pothole. The heart-stopping, teeth-jarring noise is hard to mistake. However, it’s not always immediately clear if hitting the pothole caused damage to the vehicle, and to what extent.

Hitting a pothole can damage tires, wheels, steering and suspension, wheel alignment and more. The Car Care Council recommends that motorists who experience any of the following warning signs after hitting a pothole should have a professional technician at their local repair shop inspect the vehicle.

» Loss of control, swaying when making routine turns, bottoming-out on city streets or bouncing excessively on rough roads. These are indicators that the steering and suspension may have been damaged. The steering and suspension are key safety-related systems. Together, they largely determine your car’s ride and handling. Key components are shocks and/or struts, the steering knuckle, ball joints, the steering rack/box, bearings, seals and hub units and tie rod ends.

» Pulling in one direction, instead of maintaining a straight path, and uneven tire wear. These symptoms mean there’s an alignment problem. Proper wheel alignment is important for the lifespan of tires and helps ensure safe handling.

» Low tire pressure, bulges or blisters on the sidewalls, or dents in the rim. These problems will be visible and should be checked out as soon as possible as tires are the critical connection between your car and the road in all sorts of driving conditions.

If you’ve hit a pothole, the Car Care Council can help you find a repair shop in your area. The council’s Web site features a “Find a Shop” locator.

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» publius wrote on 04.02.10 @ 11:48 AM

Horsefeathers!

The proper solution is to stop impounding street, road, and highway maintenance and repair funds.

That way, most of the potholes go away, and stay away.

When you “defer basic maintenance” on streets and roads beyond a certain point, it’s like putting off visiting the dentist - it only gets worse, and much more expensive to fix.

Let’s get real here.

The south coast area has some of the mildest climate in America. Little rain, no ice
or freezing. No salting roadways. Few days of “extreme heat”. Not all that many
“super-heavy” eighteen wheelers, except when I-5 is (temporarily) closed.

So why do our streets, roads, and highways suck so badly?

The cities, County, and State government are deferring basic maintenance to save
Budget shortfall money.

Then they “sub” repairs out to contractors who use cheaper materials, to they can
make extra dough during the economic shortfall.

Result?

Repairs aren’t done often enough. Not done well enough. Don’t last long enough.

Drivers check tires, shocks, suspension, alignment with mechanics on a regular
basis?

Sure. You should do that anyway.

But to solve the problem, we need better road work with better materials, done as
needed, and not as a last resort.

Until then, the problems will persist, and only worsen.

 

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