How Dangerous Are Potholes?

What is a pothole and how are they created?

Potholes have to be one of the most common things you see on the road when making a commute or taking a summer stroll with your dog, due to their annoying effects and noticeable size, but they may create more of a problem than you anticipated. A pothole is a breakdown in the road surface due to years of wear from cars on the road as well as nasty weather conditions and the movement of the earth beneath the tarmac. These issues can cause structural failure in the road causing chunks of the road to be missing or misshaped, which can then cause accidents and issues for drivers, and in some extreme cases, people have died due to them.

Ways in which they are created

Cars/Human Error: Cracks are formed from general wear and tear of everyday commutes/ daily travels. Heavy loads from trucks can easily create a crack in the road which is then filled with water from the weather.

Weather Conditions: The real catalyst to the creation of potholes has to be rain. This is due to the fact that rain fills the gap made by the general degrade of everyday traffic and wear, and will then freeze and expand in the ground. Hitting a pothole where it has been filled by snow and has frozen into ice, can also be dangerous as tyres will slip off of the surface, so always bear your speed in mind during the winter season!

How much damage do potholes cause?

If you don't enjoy a visit to your local garage or spending an arm and a leg, then you most likely won't be fond of potholes either! Hitting one of these bad boys can not only make you shake in the car, but it could also cause some pretty serious damage to the vehicle or even worse, yourself. It can be quite easy to puncture your tyre if the surface surrounding the pothole is sharp or corroded and if one is deep enough, it could bend your alloys, rims, exhaust, mudflaps, slide skirts, or part of the undercarriage, which could cost a fortune. So try and avoid them at all costs, and make your local council aware.

What to do if you hit a pothole?

If you hit a pothole it is of mass importance for you to check for any damage to the vehicle. This is because it could affect your handling and suspension, which could, in fact, make driving way more difficult and increase the chances of crashing or flipping the vehicle. If it has damaged your car, you need to reduce the amount of driving you are doing and take the car to the garage immediately.

You then need to report the pothole if possible to prevent other drivers from doing the same thing. And you can then claim/appeal or speak to your insurance about the damage caused.

You can find out some more information from the gov website- click this link!

How is a pothole filled?

The method of filling potholes is quite simple in all honesty. The area is cleared of any debris or mess and filled simply with asphalt and flattened before the solution hardens, and this is usually done by the local council in the area to prevent recurring damage to drivers' vehicles. However, many people have taken it upon themselves to fill potholes 'DIY', due to the sheer amount of them, and the time it takes for the council to fill the hole. Many people will buy ready to use tarmac from local stores and fill them themselves. Although this is better than an unfilled pothole, it may be filled incorrectly and could still cause issues later on; so it is best to still inform the council of the pothole and wait for it to be fixed, and by filling it themselves, they are taking responsibility for it. So if any damage is caused, it will become your issue, so don't do it!

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