Potholes and speed bumps are constant source of annoyance for many drivers. They can damage multiple parts of the car, especially the tire. When we drive regularly, we often experience a bumpy ride at damaged roads. Speed bumps are designed to discourage high-speed driving in specific areas, but improper speed bumps could damage our car, causing us to spend more money on repair and maintenance. Speed bumps actually have smoother shape than typical obstructions on the road.
Nevertheless, speed bump can increase noise pollution in the area and reduce our car’s mileage. For this reason, car owners should be aware about how holes and bumps could potentially harm their cars.
Car owners should be aware that speed bumps may inflict surprising amounts of damages to various car components, including tires. Often, bumps cause damages on the inside shoulders of the tires and unfortunately, damages can’t be seen easily. It means, drivers won’t be aware of the imminent problem at all and blowout could result.
This situation has proven to be fatal and extremely dangerous when it occurs at high speed. Driving over speed bumps too often could also cause increased wear on road springs, steering and suspension.
Unfortunately, road repair is an expensive project in many communities, including in developed countries. As the result, many roads have potentially damaging potholes. Some potholes are unavoidable if they are present at higher number on the road. In this case, drivers could only make sure that they drive over shallower and smaller holes. Potholes could also be invisible at night and this could cause damages on our car, when drive at higher speed at night.
Therefore, after driving over a deep, large hole at higher speeds, we should immediately check the tire for bulges and deflations. If car owners live in areas with many potholes, they should also check for dents and rusts on the suspension that’s caused by accidental bumps.
If car owners see serious dents and wears on suspension and other related parts, it is necessary to go to the mechanic’s shop for repair or replacement. Repairing damaged tires should be easy and badly damaged tires can be replaced very easily. Car owners should make sure that the car is still road safe, because leaving a minor issue for too long could make things much worse and it could lead to a fatal accident.
It is obviously possible to avoid damages caused by speed bumps and potholes. The most obvious solution is to choose an alternate route with less speed bumps and potholes. The overall distance could be longer, but it is still possible to reach our destination faster and maintain lower mileage by choosing smoother road. If speed bumps are unavoidable, make sure to drive slowly and be patient. The inside of the tire should be checked regularly.
Chamfered-edge speed cushions should be driven over one tire at time, by alternating tires from hump to hump. We shouldn’t straddle speed cushions because this could cause more serious damages on our tire.
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