Spring may be in full swing, but that also means it’s the time of the year when winter’s wear and tear has left behind pockmarked pavement that can wreak havoc with our cars’ tires and suspension systems.
Allstate Insurance in Northbrook, Ill., offers these tips to help drivers avoid blowouts and other damage while negotiating potholes and other debilitating divots:
Make sure the vehicle’s tires are properly inflated according to the automaker’s recommendations.
Leave sufficient room between cars to safely steer around potholes without causing a collision.
Use caution when negotiating a puddle or through the snow, which might be hiding deep craters.
When driving over a pothole, hold onto the steering wheel firmly to maintain control of the car.
Fortunately, most pothole-induced damage is covered by a vehicle’s collision insurance. Alternately, many larger U.S. cities will reimburse motorists to some extent for needed repairs caused by unfilled pits in the road.
— Jim Gorzelany
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