What Are the Dangers of Hitting a Pothole?

What Are the Dangers of Hitting a Pothole?

July 24, 2019

If you’ve ever driven full-speed over a pothole, you’re familiar with the feeling: a sudden, shocking jolt, followed by a long, slow, sinking feeling. You likely go from feeling fear to feeling relief that you maintain control of your car to feeling worried about what kind of damage the impact caused, in a matter of mere seconds.

Hitting a pothole isn’t just frightening—it can wreak serious havoc on your vehicle, particularly on its suspension system. If you’re a business owner or homeowner, it’s your responsibility to maintain the quality of your driveways and parking lots. If a guest, client or customer damages their vehicle while driving on your property, they may hold you responsible for not properly maintaining your space. If nothing else, it could significantly damage their perception of you and your business.

Contracting with a professional asphalt paving company in Kentucky can help you maintain the quality of the driveways and parking lots at your home or business. Consulting with an asphalt professional can provide you with the expertise necessary to care for your own vehicles, as well as the vehicles of your customers and guests.

It’s important to understand that the risks associated with hitting a pothole are fairly serious. Here are just some of the potential problems that you may encounter:

  • Tire puncture: Many potholes form sharp ridges that can puncture tires and pop tubes. If you pop your tire by hitting a pothole, it could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, and result in uncontrollable swerving.
  • Wheel rim damage: Striking a pothole, especially at a rapid speed, could cause serious wheel rim damage to your vehicle. Even after replacing the tire, this could put a significant amount of strain on your car’s chassis, and make it nearly impossible to safely operate your vehicle moving forward.
  • Engine damage: If you hit a pothole with enough force, it may cause serious damage to your engine block. Fluids might splash where they’re not supposed to, and there’s a chance that your engine block could crack upon impact.
  • Shock and suspension problems: Anyone who drives in a city with a lot of potholes can tell you that their shock and suspension systems just aren’t the same as they used to be. This is because repeated high-intensity impacts cause significant amounts of damage to the shocks and other aspects of the suspension system.
  • Steering system misalignment: If your car seems to drift to one side while driving, it’s because the steering system is misaligned. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common side-effect of hitting a pothole at a high speed of impact.

K.O. Asphalt is a highly qualified asphalt paving company in Kentucky offering comprehensive paving solutions for both businesses and homeowners. We’re a family owned and locally operated business committed to doing right by our customers and executing a high-quality job.

If you’re concerned about potential potholes on your property, reach out to one of our friendly representatives today. We’ll assist you with identifying the best course of action to repave your property.

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