It’s not always possible to avoid potholes in the road when you are driving, but these little menaces have been the cause of injuries, damaged vehicles and car accidents all over the world for centuries. Long before the invention of the automobile, potholes were flipping carriages and tripping horses everywhere.
Even the most well-paved roads can have potholes. They don’t discriminate and can appear anywhere. So why is it so important to avoid these sometimes hidden, sometimes obvious holes in the road? Here are 5 dangers of driving out of potholes and why you should avoid them.
Contents
5 Dangers of Potholes and Why They are More Than Just a Nuisance
1. They cause thousands of deaths each year.
Annually, there are approximately 33,000 traffic fatalities in the United States. Of these deaths, about 10,000 are caused by poor road conditions, including potholes. One deep pothole is enough to cause an accident, but roads with multiple potholes that can’t be easily avoided can instigate collisions, too.
2. They are a danger to your vehicle’s tires.
Since your tires will hit the pothole first, the impact is usually jarring. This hit often causes tires to either be punctured or go flat. It might not happen immediately, but every time you hit a pothole, your tire can weaken, leading to a flat tire or even a blowout.
3. Your car’s alignment will suffer.
When your car is out of alignment, it does not drive straight. It may pull to one side and become hard to handle. Your tires’ tread will also wear faster. These car problems can sound minor, but they are dangerous and can be expensive to fix.
4. The undercarriage of your can be damaged.
Large potholes can cause your vehicle’s undercarriage to scrape across the road, resulting in busted or punctured hoses and lines and the leaking of important fluids. It can also drain the exhaust system if your car’s undercarriage is scraped along the pothole.
5. Potholes can pop up anywhere.
They can be found anywhere, seemingly out of the blue. Even once the city responsible for the roads finds out about the problem, it can take some time to repair it. If you find a pothole, even if you think it must have been there for a while and someone should know about it, report it anyway. Reporting potholes are important. You could save someone’s vehicle from unnecessary damage or you might even be saving someone’s life by eliminating the potential cause of an accident.
Beware of the Hidden Dangers of Potholes
They may seem innocent, but potholes are anything but. If you know a road has multiple potholes that are difficult to avoid, try to find another route to your destination. If you come across potholes that are in the way of traffic, bicyclists, or pedestrians, report it to your city’s maintenance department.
These nuisances cause a lot of damage, injuries, and fatalities. Take them seriously and avoid them if you can. Your car will thank you for it!
