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Top 5 Tips to Drive Safely on Damaged Roads

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It is impossible to expect that all roads will possess an equally smooth surface. While travelling, especially for long distances, it is quite natural that you will experience some damaged roads with mild to severe potholes. This becomes more common and comparatively more dangerous during the rainy seasons. Regular driving on such surfaces will have a poor impact on your vehicle. Proper car insurance acts as a safeguard under such risky circumstances.

Plausible threats posed by potholes and damaged roads

The threats posed by damaged roads and potholes can be far more severe than mere financial loss. It possesses the capacity to even cause fatal damages. As per the findings of AccuWeather, vehicle damages are mostly caused due to:

● At least deflated tyre

● significant bulges or cracks in the tyres

● Wheel rim dents

● alignment problem of the concerned vehicle

● Damaged undercarriage causing fluid leaks

● Noisy exhaust system

In order to avoid accidental circumstances and ensure the safety of your vehicle, its driver and passengers, we have put together some handy driving tips to follow while driving through battered roads, full of potholes.

1. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles:

While travelling through beaten up tracks, it is best to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you. Getting too close will block your vision to see the potholes clearly and that might prove to be risky and harmful for your car. The maintained distance will enhance your anticipation. Furthermore, a well-maintained distance from the front vehicle will also successfully reduce the impact of the rocks that may resile off from the front vehicle. It is ideal to use the brakes softly as you observe a hole in the front. This will not only minimise the level of damage in your vehicle but will protect the vehicle on your back.

2. Never lose your focus and maintain the gaze:

While driving on a mismanaged road, it is extremely essential to remain extra cautious and never lose your focus. You have to consistently maintain the gaze to avoid any unfavourable circumstances. Take a look at the surroundings to work best upon the situation to avoid hitting the potholes. Ignore everything, in such circumstances, that distracts you or hinders your driving expertise and focus entirely to make the best out of the situation. The experts opine that you should place your hand on the steering in the typical 9 to 5 position, for better grip and handling.

3. Avoid manoeuvring:

Some drivers immediately manoeuvre the concerned vehicle with a smooth turn to avoid potholes. It is a good practice only if it is ensured that the road conditions are empty and ideal enough and offer adequate space for turning, without the risk of endangering other vehicles plying nearby.

4. Never speed up:

High speed is the biggest enemy of any vehicle when it is plying through battered roads. It is best to maintain the recommended speed always, and ideally, you muse significantly reduce it, if the road conditions are too bad. Slow driving offers you the positive opportunity of avoiding potholes. Your vehicle’s suspension will be adversely affected while driving at high speeds through damaged roads and potholes.

5. Special attention to the puddles:

During the monsoon months, the potholes get filled with water, creating multiple puddles of several shapes and sizes. The wearing speed of damaged roads is significantly enhanced during the rainy season. The depth of the hole gets dangerously covered because of the water, thereby increasing the risk to a considerable extent. Try to avoid the puddles as much as possible. If it cannot be implemented practically, lower your car’s speed and avoid using brakes suddenly. The necessity of sudden braking occurs if the driver is inattentive to the current situation. However, proper usage of Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Anti-Lock Braking System offers protection to a certain extent, by preventing the vehicle from crashing into any object. If your vehicle possesses these features, try to make clever use of them under such circumstances.

Ensuring minimal damage while driving through potholes

As a driver, you must know, that under certain typical circumstances, it becomes extremely difficult to avoid hitting a pothole altogether. However, you can minimize the vehicle damage by following these tips and tactics:

● It is a good driving practice to keep all the tyres of your vehicle properly inflated at all times. This becomes especially helpful for riding through damaged roads, allowing you enhanced control and cruising power.

● Ideally, you should slow down before a pothole and then gradually release the brakes, as you hit it. In case you apply the brakes while the car is still in the pothole, it bears the chance to cause further damage to your vehicle. It’s best to slow and then coast over the pothole if you cannot avoid hitting it.

● This practice reduces the speed at impact, allowing your suspension to work on the optimum range, absorbing the impact.

● Firmly hold the steering wheel and straighten it with proper grip while hitting the unavoidable pothole squarely at an angle. This will ensure the maintenance of proper control.

● Before going out, it is best that you check your vehicle's suspension regularly with a professional expert. This allows your car’s springs, shocks, and struts to cushion it well.

Check for pothole damage:

As you have plied through a damaged and tattered road, it is quite natural, that your vehicle must get damaged to a certain extent, despite exercising all controls. The commonest form of damage that occurs under these circumstances is that of wheels and tyres. The steering wheel might pull in one direction or the other, implying that it requires realignment. If your car bottoms out or bounces unnaturally, then you must seek suspension repairing or if the situation is too bad, you may have to replace it altogether.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is evident that driving through damaged roads is more difficult than anticipated. You have to remain extra attentive in such situations, to handle them well. But, irrespective of the road conditions, you must get your vehicle insured with proper car insurance coverage, to avoid any legal obligations.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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