7 Tips to Avoid Potholes

There are only a few worse feelings than driving along, enjoying your favorite song, playlist,
or podcast on your way to work or home, and bouncing in the driver’s seat because you hit a hidden pothole in
the road. It can turn a good day into a bad one or a bad day into a worse one; now you need to worry about
pothole damage to your car, truck, or SUV and if you’ll need to bring it to a service center for repairs. While
drivers in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, and Olathe are no strangers to potholes in the roads, it never hurts to
have a refresher course on how to avoid potholes and why you should bring your vehicle to your local service center.

How to Avoid Potholes

While it would be the simplest answer in the world to say, “Just look out for potholes and
drive around them,” and it may work most of the time, drivers understand that approach won’t always work.
Potholes can be hidden by water or debris, it could be too dark to see them in time, or any other number of
reasons. So, while the first tip to avoiding potholes is to pay close attention to the road and avoid
distractions (smartphones being one of the greater issues at hand), there is more that goes into dodging
potholes on the road safely. Without further ado:

Tip 1: Look Carefully

If you can see it, you’ll know how to avoid it. Reduce distractions and keep your eyes on the
road.

Tip 2: Drive Slower

If you avoid speeding, you’ll have more time to react when you see a pothole. Now, a caveat
here is that other drivers on the road may make this more difficult. Someone tailgating you may cause you to
speed up (and also be distracted looking in your rearview mirror). It’s best to try and avoid speeding to give
yourself the time to react.

Tip 3: Avoid Puddles and Debris

What may seem like average debris you can roll over or a puddle you can splash through on your
drive may have a substantial pothole underneath it. Try to go around puddles as often as you can to dodge diving
into a crater.

Tip 4: Use Headlights Properly

If it’s dark, potholes look like any other portion of the road. Keep your headlights on and
use the high beams when necessary to get as much lighting in front of you as possible to maximize visibility
before it’s too late.

Tip 5: Keep to the Middle

While potholes can technically pop up anywhere, you may see them more frequently on the sides
of the road. Staying in the middle may lower your chances of hitting a pothole.

Tip 6: Inflate Your Tires

Following the manufacturer’s tire pressure recommendations will increase your odds of
soldering on over potholes and minimize damage. This isn’t a surefire way to mitigate damage, but it can avoid
flats or bubbles.

Tip 7: Replace Worn Tires

Tires with barely any tread left are more susceptible to punctures and bubbles when you run
over a pothole. If your tread is looking low (or nonexistent), replace your tires to avoid a flat or a blowout.

What to Do After Hitting a Pothole

Check Your Vehicle

If you hit a pothole and think your car, truck, or SUV may be damaged, here’s a quick
checklist to go over to assess your vehicle’s status.

Tires

The first place to look is your tires. Check for flats or bubbles and replace them
accordingly.

Wheels

If your tires didn’t have enough tread or weren’t inflated properly, your wheels may become
bent, cracked, or overall damaged if you hit a pothole the wrong way.

Shocks

If you notice a bumpier ride after hitting a pothole, your shocks may be damaged or broken
entirely. Make a note of how your car drives in the aftermath of hitting a pothole.

Suspension and Alignment

If your car shakes at higher speeds or pulls in either direction, your suspension or alignment
may be to blame. If you think your vehicle needs suspension repair, it is
best to take it to a service center.

Exhaust

Strange sounds may emit from your exhaust system if you hit a pothole, and you will need care
from a trusted mechanic at a collision center.

How to Repair a Pothole

Report any potholes you come across to your city or county government. If you want to fill a
pothole, this is the best way to go about it. Your local government has a road department that will fill them in
(ideally quickly).

Bring Your Car in for Inspection

When you hit a pothole, and your car doesn’t sound or handle how it used to, your
vehicle is likely suffering from pothole damage and will need a keen eye to source and fix the issue. If your
vehicle is suffering from pothole damage, bring it into one of our service centers: we service Blue Springs,
Lee’s Summit, Kansas City, Olathe, and Overland Park residents to help keep them driving safely. Contact us
to find the closest pothole collision center near your, or call us to set up an appointment in any of these
locations:

Blue Springs,
MO
(816) 224-7575

Lee’s Summit,
MO
(816) 313-4531

Olathe,
KS
(913) 324-7300

Overland Park,
KS
(913) 649-2999