How to Avoid Pothole Damage And Road Fatalities
The threat of potholes is familiar. Every province in the country is affected by poor road conditions. It’s worse when you live far from urban roads, as more minor roads are more affected by the failing service delivery of quality and maintained roads.
In some areas, communities have decided to work together to try and fix potholes. However, it’s not always effective as they don’t have the money to buy proper-grade construction materials. Read on to find out what iER thinks are practical ways to avoid pothole damage and how you can stay safe on the roads.
Tips to Avoid Pothole Damage
Since potholes have become an unavoidable part of your South African experience, you must find ways to reduce any potential risks they may pose. The thing is, it takes one pothole incident to cause damage to your car and, in worst-case scenarios, your life. These are some quick iER tips to help you stay safe.
Drive Slow
When you drive on an unfamiliar road, you must slow down. Driving slow gives you an advantage in staying aware of any potential hazards on the road ahead. Moreover, it gives you enough time to drive around an unexpected pothole.
Following this driving tip helps reduce the impact driving over a pothole has on your car and life. Driving at high speed can cause severe damage.
Be Wary of Puddles
With the country experiencing heavy rainfall and extreme weather changes, road water damage has become one thing you must assess. How often have you mistakenly driven into a pothole while thinking it’s a small puddle on a rainy day? If you drive on the road with puddles, stay alert to avoid driving into a pothole unknowingly.
Maintain Control of Your Car
In some cases, you won’t be able to avoid potholes on the roads. Ensure that you have control of your car, by maintaining a steady speed and control of your steering wheel as you drive through a pothole.
The last thing you want to deal with is losing control on the road that has a lot of potholes. When you lack car control due to driving at high speed, you increase the chances of risks.
Inspect Your Tyres
Always ensure your tyre tread is roadworthy before driving on any national road. If you hit a pothole with worn-out tyres, you increase the risks of damage to your car on the roads. Most importantly, ensure that your tyre pressure is balanced.
Threats Posed by Potholes
iER has received road accident reports caused by potholes, proving that potholes pose a threat beyond the costs to fix any damage to your car. There are many dangers on the roads that you may face because of driving over them.
You need to be extra cautious when you drive under the following conditions.
- When you drive on wet roads.
- Driving on rural roads.
- When you drive at night and in areas with poor street lighting.
- Driving when there are road maintenance signs.
The risks of driving on national roads increase due to various reasons. Yet, the damage that’s caused by potholes cannot be ignored. It’s crucial to download the iER App when you drive often.
You must know how to contact emergency services when damage caused by these potholes threatens your life. iER-trained contact centre agents will use GPS tracking to dispatch an emergency response unit to your location.