Potholes are one of the worst enemies to a cars alignment. Hitting a pothole at over thirty miles per hour can cause a cars hub cap to fly off, the shock absorbers to become damaged, and the whole alignment of the car can go out. When the alignment on a car goes out it can make a car start to veer to the right or left while driving. It is always best to avoid potholes at all cost, but there are some pot holes that are very hard to see until a person is right up to it. These are the worst type of instances because it does not give a driver that much time to react, much less put on their brakes. Cars can go over a pot hole at over forty miles per hour when they are caught unaware. This can cause even more damage to the alignment of a car.
There are some things that people can learn about potholes and alignment that can help them to prepare better.
Pothole Sizes
Changing weather climates are more apt to cause potholes on a street. Large amounts of rain can break up asphalt, which is the leading cause of potholes. Potholes also contract and expand during hot weather. The size of a pothole will determine the damage that it can cause to a car. A smaller pothole will not cause that much damage. Depending on how fast the car is going, the most it will do is cause the shock absorbers to fluctuate until the car goes back to normal. Medium size potholes can cause the hub cap of a car to fly off if the person goes through the dip in the road at a faster speed. Large potholes create the most damage to the car because the front of the car dips into the hole, which can cause the front of the car to make contact to the payment, as well as the undercarriage of the car. This will cause damage to the shock absorbers and the alignment.
Liability
Unfortunately the only party who will be responsible for the damage caused by a pothole is the driver of the car. The city cannot be held responsible, and insurance will not pay for this type of damage to a car. Potholes are a part of the safety classes taught when a person receives their drivers license, so most people already have common knowledge about avoiding potholes. The best defense is to be on the look out for any sudden changes to the road, so that a person will have enough time to put on their brakes as they go over the pothole.
Damage to a Car
Alignment and shock absorbers are not the only damage that can happen to a car. Potholes can cause leaks in the oil pan if the bottom of the oil pan makes contact with the road. It can scrape the oil pan and tear it, which will cause an oil leak. The suspension system in a car can also be damaged by potholes. If the suspension of a car is damaged, the car may not be able to absorb the shock of other potholes. When the alignment is damaged, it can be dangerous for a car because it can cause the car to naturally want to pull in another direction while driving. This can cause confusion in some drivers who cannot control the steering wheel when going at fast rates of speed. It can cause a head on collision if it is not fixed as soon as possible.