| The extensive delays at last weekend's Daytona | | | | have to ride the pothole out." |
| 500 stand as an abrupt reminder that pothole | | | | Also, to avoid losing control of your vehicle, be |
| season is just around the corner. To avoid | | | | certain to tightly hold the steering wheel with two |
| considerable repair costs, it is crucial to know how | | | | hands before entering a pothole. |
| to drive through potholes and how to best react | | | | "Hitting a pothole when you've got a loose grip on |
| after doing so. | | | | the wheel can snap the wheel left or right, and |
| If you are driving at a fast enough speed where | | | | your car into another car, or off the road," says |
| you cannot avoid hitting a pothole, there are a | | | | Rich White, executive director of the Car Care |
| few things that you should do before impact to | | | | Council, quoted by AOL Autos. |
| save your car from unnecessary damage. | | | | Meanwhile, after hitting a pothole, it is important |
| Although it may sound simple, the best thing that | | | | to do a quick quality check of your vehicle's |
| you can do before hitting a pothole is slow down. | | | | major systems. If your car is pulling in one |
| Many drivers subscribe to the theory that one | | | | direction or the other, you may have an alignment |
| can avoid a pothole by flying over it with great | | | | problem, a common occurrence after a violent |
| speed, but unfortunately the laws of gravity | | | | impact. |
| rarely allow this theory to come into play. | | | | "Also, if you feel a loss of control, if you feel the |
| After slowing your vehicle as best as you can, | | | | car bottoming out or bouncing excessively on |
| make sure to take your foot off of the brake | | | | rough roads, those are indicators that the steering |
| before impact. | | | | and suspension may have been damaged," adds |
| "That will increase the damage severely," said | | | | White. |
| Larry Rubenstein, owner of Route 1 Auto Service | | | | If your car does incur damage, contact your |
| in Peabody, Massachusetts, quoted by the "Now, | | | | insurance company to see if you are covered. |
| in addition to the wall stopping the wheel, your | | | | Local and state-maintained roads have different |
| brakes are stopping it, too. You're just going to | | | | statutes concerning public liability. |