DeAnn Owens
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How to Avoid Potholes When Driving

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Pothole in road with water puddle
Photo: 四代目火影 via CC

Hitting a pothole is not only a frightening and annoying experience; it also can be a potentially hazardous situation to both your safety and the health of your car. Drivers in Canada understand the frustration and prevalence of potholes thanks to the country’s harsh winters and volatile temperature switches, especially during the turnover from winter to spring.


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Pothole season is approaching, and before long, millions of Canadian drivers will soon be facing the very real possibility of expensive damage caused to their vehicles by the roads and highways they drive on,” says Driving.ca writer Justin Pritchard.

When you hit a pothole, you could face damage to your tires or your suspension. Your steering system could also be affected by the impact. Some damage is immediately seen and felt, but some damage can take its time to appear, which adds to the frustration and expense of repair bills.

“Hitting the wrong pothole at the wrong speed can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage in a fraction of a second,” warns Pritchard.

Potholes are a mainstay of driving, but you can still minimize your interaction with potholes and the potential damage they inflict without hanging up your keys (or key fob) for good. It doesn’t take much, but it can be a completely new way of driving for some.

“The master tip? Leave lots of space between you and the next car in traffic, and make a habit of backing off from the vehicle you are following as soon as you realize you can clearly read its license plate. That is, if you can the license plate of the car in front of you, you’re probably following too closely,” according to Pritchard.


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In other words, just by keeping ample distance between you and the car in front of you, you can increase your odds of noticing and avoiding a pothole.