The Dangers Of Potholes And Why You Should Report Them

Now that the cold, freezing temperatures of winter and the rainy days of spring are behind us, we can begin to enjoy the summer season and all that comes along with it. For many, that means days spent at the beach, colourful flowers in the garden and hot, sunny days. But the combination of winter’s freeze, spring’s thaw and  the summer heat also brings us something that isn’t very nice; potholes. Like the first flowers of spring, potholes seem to start popping up all over the UK this time of year. In fact, potholes are so prevalent in some parts of the UK, that they have even received their own social media pages.

Pothole Damage Costing U.K. Drivers

     Potholes are dangerous and could lead to a flat or damaged tyre, bent or damaged rims, suspension damage, steering damage or damage to the body of your car. Some drivers have even swerved to avoid a pothole, hitting an oncoming car instead. With pothole damage costing U.K. drivers more than £730 million per year, instead of giving them Instagram time, we should be reporting potholes to the proper city council instead.

What To Do When You Encounter A Pothole

     Potholes typically occur over time and can grow incredibly large rather quickly. Sometimes, a pothole can pop up overnight which makes keeping a constant lookout for potholes very important. If you are driving and you come upon a pothole, there are some things that you can do to avoid damaging your car or causing an accident. Let’s take a look at some of them now:

     The first step in avoiding pothole-related damage is to ensure that your tyres are properly inflated at all times. Low tyre pressure means a much softer tyre and that can mean increased damage if you do happen to hit a pothole.

     Next, if you see a pothole, you should try to safely avoid it. This means being more aware of the drivers around you and swerving as necessary to avoid hitting the pothole.

      If you are unable to avoid hitting a pothole, keep your steering wheel straight and drive over the pothole slowly and cautiously.

     Finally, if you see a pothole, report it. Contact your local council and provide the exact location of the pothole. Regardless of size, every pothole should be reported as even the smallest pothole can grow large enough to cause damage.

Use Love Clean Streets to Report Potholes

     To report potholes in your area use our Love Clean Streets apps or website today!

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