Your pothole season guide

What are the surest signs of spring for you? For some, it’s the first barbeque. For others, it’s potholes.

If we were in a video game, it’d be easy to aim at all the potholes along the road and score lots of points. Many Canadians would quickly become pothole champions. But in real life, we have to take them on another way. There aren’t any magical solutions, but I can at least offer some advice to help make sure you don’t damage your car too much!

Keep a safe distance behind the car in front. It’s good practice at any time, but even more so at this time of year. If you see the car ahead of you hit a big hole, you often have time to react.

Drive around. If you spot a pothole in time, you can probably drive around it safely. If you can’t avoid it, slow down as much as possible. As you reach the pothole, step off brakes and hold the steering wheel tightly, so you don’t lose control of the car. Don’t slam on the brakes. Hitting a pothole with the brakes on can damage the car’s suspension.

Are your tires properly inflated? An over-inflated tire increases the risks of internal structural damage, but an under-inflated tire can be damaged by getting squeezed between the pothole and the wheel.

Don’t drive too fast! Does your car levitate? If not, slow down. The harder the shock, the harder your car is going to feel it.

Still waters run deep. A hole that’s filled with water may end up being deeper than you think.

Don’t brake while you’re in the hole. Easing up on the accelerator before impact is the best approach.

Report potholes! Your city or municipality will thank you!

Did you hit a pothole? Visit your garage right away! Is the steering wheel vibrating? Does the alignment seem off? Get your mechanic to check everything over to prevent premature tire wear.