{"id":3895,"date":"2021-03-15T15:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T19:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plymouthrock.com\/?p=3895"},"modified":"2025-07-16T13:20:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T17:20:35","slug":"tips-pothole-damage","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.plymouthrock.com\/resources\/tips-pothole-damage","title":{"rendered":"Tips on how to avoid pothole damage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hitting a pothole can cause more than an uncomfortable ride. Depending on the severity of the collision, a pothole can cause serious damage to your car. Tire damage, premature wear on shocks and struts, and steering misalignment are all possible. Needless to say, taking steps to avoid pothole damage is good for both your car and your wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y4ZdvrWN9as?rel=0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" title=\u201dPothole Safety 101\u201d><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"margin-bottom:0px;\">What Are Potholes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:15px;\">Potholes are cracks and crevices on the road formed by erosion of the roadway due to seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. Once water enters the ground under the pavement and freezes, it causes the pavement to expand, bend and crack. After the ice melts, the pavement contracts, leaving gaps or voids on the pavement\u2019s surface. Potholes are not uncommon \u2014 especially during and after harsh winter weather \u2014 so it\u2019s important to understand how you can minimize the likelihood of blowouts and other pothole damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"margin-bottom: 0px;\">How to avoid pothole damage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Steer clear of potholes<\/strong> \u2013&nbsp;Easier said than done in some cases, but your first course of action should be to safely maneuver around a pothole if there are no cars in adjacent lanes. Be mindful of puddles that could be masking potholes beneath.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Take it slow<\/strong> \u2013 This is extra important when traveling at night or on unfamiliar roads. Maintain a safe distance from the car traveling in front of you to give yourself time to identify potholes and react.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep tire pressure in the sweet spot<\/strong> \u2013&nbsp;Your owner\u2019s manual or door jamb should tell you the ideal tire inflation for your car. Allowing pressure to dip under the recommended PSI could leave your tires susceptible to blowing out when faced with a pothole. If your tires are inflated above the recommended PSI, you increase the chances of a rigid impact when hitting a pothole because tires are harder when overinflated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t slam on the brakes<\/strong> \u2013&nbsp;If you can\u2019t safely avoid a pothole, you don\u2019t want to brake hard into it. The load transfer from slamming on the brakes can increase the possibility of damage. If possible, gradually reduce your speed into the impact, and always keep two hands on the wheel to maintain control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inspect your car after impact<\/strong> \u2013&nbsp;Checking your car for signs of damage following an encounter with a pothole can help you avoid safety issues in the future. If something feels, sounds or looks \u201coff,\u201d don\u2019t hesitate to get a professional inspection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Repairs for damage caused by a pothole may be covered by your&nbsp;<a href=\"\/insurance\/auto\">car insurance<\/a> if you carry collision coverage. If you need to file a claim with Plymouth Rock, you may <a href=\"https:\/\/efnol.plymouthrock.com\">report it online<\/a> or refer to our&nbsp;<a href=\"\/contact\">Contact Us<\/a> page for your state&#8217;s claims number.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"36610\" class=\"elementor elementor-36610\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ee649ab elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ee649ab\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4c502b6\" data-id=\"4c502b6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21697f5 post-margins post-link-class elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"21697f5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0px;\"><strong>Now let\u2019s talk about you<\/strong><br \/>\nDo you have the right coverage for your vehicle? We\u2019d love to chat with you about it. Call us at <a href=\"tel:1-800-516-9242\">800-516-9242<\/a> or speak to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plymouthrock.com\/find-an-agent\">local agent<\/a>. \n<br \/><br \/>\nIf you\u2019d rather not talk, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/buy.plymouthrock.com\/esales\/entry\/start?PLF_Code=HIPT&amp;iRefid=Website&amp;iRefclickid=Copy_Link\">get a quote<\/a> quickly and easily online. Just enter your ZIP code to get started and see how much you could save!\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A pothole can cause serious damage to your car, such as tire damage, rim damage, premature wear on shocks and struts, suspension damage and steering misalignment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4965,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":""},"products":[71],"state":[79,83,80,81,82,84],"class_list":["post-3895","resources","type-resources","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","products-auto","state-ct","state-ma","state-nh","state-nj","state-ny","state-pa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tips On How To Avoid Pothole Damage | Plymouth Rock Assurance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read about tips to avoid pothole damage to your car, including taking it slow, not slamming on the brakes, and more from Plymouth Rock.\" 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