Pesky Potholes Part 1

Now is the time of year when those pesky potholes start appearing on the roadways. Many times they are unavoidable, especially when you are driving in traffic. So here is some advice on how to protect your car from pothole damage and the right way you should be driving over a huge pothole.

How to protect your car

• Always have the right amount of air pressure in your tires; this will give you plenty of support from the potholes possible impact on the rim of your tire.
• Keep a better eye out for them by leaving more space between the car in front of you and your vehicle.
• If you know you are headed for a pothole, you should immediately slow down. If you are traveling at higher speeds, you will increase the chances of damage to your vehicle.
• When you are driving on a road with a lot of potholes, keep a firm hold on your wheel; your vehicle could lose control.
• Don't break when you are directly over a pothole; your car's weight will be on the front wheel and can increase the damage.
• If you are headed for a pothole and there is nothing you can do you should brake as hard as you can all the way until you are about to hit the pothole; shift several gears down for a manual. Stop breaking before you are about to hit the pothole. Finally, push your gas pedal down all the way so you are hitting the pothole with a lot of acceleration. This method will leave your suspension unharmed.
• Lookout for big puddles; they could be hiding a huge pothole that you can't see.