As the seasons move from Winter to Spring, more and more craters will begin to appear in the UK’s crevice-ridden road network.
That’s because ice that formed in cracks in the road during winter actually expands to push the surface of the Tarmac upwards, creating a crumbling cavity underneath.
And pothole damage is no laughing matter - with busted suspension, tyres, wheels and exhausts resulting in an average repair bill of £1,000, according to the AA.
But the way you drive could actually mitigate the carnage.
One key thing to remember is never to keep your foot on the brakes as you actually hit the pothole - however much you might want to slow down.
Graham Conway, Managing Director of leading UK car leasing firm Select Car Leasing, explains why, revealing:
“Of course, you want to scrub off as much speed as you possibly can before hitting a pothole. But you should never slam on the brakes as you actually go over it. When you brake, your car nosedives forwards, compressing the suspension. If your car is already lurching forward as you hit a road crater, there’s little play left in the suspension, meaning it can no longer properly absorb an impact."
“And that means you could actually increase the amount of pothole damage that occurs. You should instead come off the brakes, keep a firm grip of the wheel, and aim straight ahead - making sure you stop, when safe to do so, to check for any damage.”
Conway adds:
“You should try to avoid turning the steering wheel while heading into a pothole, as this can again place extra stress on steering and suspension components. And the aim is to identify the threat before it’s too late, giving you time to slow down properly - though that’s admittedly harder said than done in a real-world driving scenario.”
“Properly inflated tyres - not too soft, not too hard - is one of the best ways to limit pothole damage. If your tyre pressure is too high, the impact of a pothole isn’t transferred properly through the wheel, and it’s more likely to damage your vehicle’s suspension, resulting in damaged track rod ends, broken coil springs or even bent suspension wishbones.
And remember that the ambient air temperature actually affects the pressure inside your tyres - with a potential swing of around 4 PSI when we go from cold to warm weather."
Mr Conway said:
“None of us want to damage our cars, and we’d do anything to avoid a pothole. But on the flipside no motorist wants to be confronted with a selfish, inconsiderate and downright dangerous driver careering towards them with half their car on the wrong side of the road. With traffic on UK roads reduced because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdown was perhaps a good time for councils to focus on mending roads that have been in a state of disrepair for many years.
“But only time will tell whether or not that opportunity has been seized.”
When it comes to suspension damage from potholes, motorists can expect broken ball joints, misalignment and damaged shocks or struts.
Tyres are prone to punctures and blow outs, with Select Car Leasing urging drivers to keep their tyre pressures at the correct levels to limit the mayhem.
Meanwhile, buckled wheels and damaged exhausts are also a real risk.
Another thing to get right is your tyre pressures - with under or over-inflated tyres potentially exacerbating pothole damage.
“That’s really important to consider now that the weather outside is noticeably warmer than a few weeks ago.”
Meanwhile one driving technique you should absolutely not adopt is to drift onto the wrong side of the road, going over the central white dotted line, in a bid to avoid road imperfections.
A recent Select Car Leasing survey suggests it’s a driving habit that’s becoming increasingly common - even though the risks associated with swerving into the path of an oncoming vehicle is all too obvious.
The survey found a quarter of UK motorists - 23 per cent – had noted ‘other drivers drifting out of lane or over the middle divider line much more frequently’.
And of the fifth of motorists who admitted drifting lanes, 74 per cent reported that ‘attempting to avoid potholes, puddles and bumps’ was the biggest reason..
Other research by Select Car Leasing says pothole damage isn’t limited to vehicles - with people being physically injured, too.
A huge 27 per cent of respondents to a UK survey said their cars needed repairs after colliding with a road crater.
Meanwhile six per cent of motorists – equivalent to around 2.5 million UK driving licence holders – reported injuries such as whiplash, back pain, a banged head, sore teeth or had bitten their tongue after jolting over a road dent.
Injuries were most rife in Edinburgh (19 per cent), London (15 per cent) and Bristol (per cent).
In November last year the Department for Transport said it had committed £2.5bn for road repairs ‘as part of the biggest nationwide programme ever announced’.
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