Braking into a pothole - how to do this properly

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:44 pm

Discussion thread for Braking into a pothole article

Driver Joined: Dec 25, 2009 Posts: 100

Driving the car safely through a pothole have to be done with little concentration, always while driving see the potholes and when approaching it just apply slight brake and see to it the Car's under parts doesnt get damaged.

Member Joined: Dec 31, 2009 Posts: 24

Interesting stuff Misha. This I did not know.
When I was taxiing, there were so many bloody potholes all over the place, I think we just started ignoring them and not braking for them much. Only once in 20 years can I honestly say I suffered suspension damage due to them, and what you say may be be true, because it was a brand new 30K taxi and I was being ultra-careful, or thought I was.

Driver Joined: Dec 30, 2009 Posts: 124

I try to avoid streets that I know has pot holes. All pot holes can't be avoided. When I do spot a pothole ahead, I know it is time to drive
slowly, to lessen the impact that driving over a pot hole has on the car. The harder the pothole is hit, the more damage it does to a car.

Member Joined: Dec 31, 2009 Posts: 24

Crikes..you'd be hard pushed to find a street in Glasgow that doesn't have potholes. I think the 30mph limit is put in place because of them! Half the time there are more potholes than tarmac on the roads. I've heard it isn't any better nowadays.

Driver Joined: Dec 30, 2009 Posts: 124

I hear you. This is the season for potholes. Snow, ice, then thaw. Lack of money to keep the streets repaired. Pot holes burst up everywhere, like little and not so little road monsters, ready to snare motorists. What can we do? Keep the tires in good condition, drive carefully, and look out for the pot holes, and if we hit a bad one, get the car checked.

Active member Joined: Dec 24, 2009 Posts: 52

The spring thaw brings beautiful days and the hope for warmer weather soon to come in cold snowy areas of the country. This annual change in the climate also brings with it the dreaded potholes on the road. These are not only dangerous but if you are unfortunate enough to hit a bad one you will soon find out how damaging and costly they can be. By following a few defensive driving techniques along with some common sense and paying closer attention to the road, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars in damage to your car along with a lot of aggravation.
http://i.ehow.co.uk/images/a04/j4/rs/avoid-hitting-potholes-road-200X200.jpg

Member Joined: Jan 12, 2010 Posts: 41

During my commute to work, I inevitably drive over more than 10 pot holes each way. While a few of them are small, most of them are quite large and create for a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride to work.

Most potholes are caused when relentless freezing and thawing weakens the road and causes large cracks which eventually turn into potholes. Cities like Chicago or Minneapolis that have particularly harsh winters often tend to have more potholes.

So if you live in a city with lots of potholes, here are a few driving safety tips:

Always maintain the proper air pressure in your tires
Leave plenty of room in front of your vehicle so you can avoid potholes without getting into an accident
If you can’t avoid a pothole, slow down. But don’t break directly over a pothole which can actually cause more damage
When driving over the pothole, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control
Don’t drive over a puddle of water because it might be a particularly deep pothole in hiding

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:18 am

amazing article. Few months ago, i was on a city road and behind me there was a car closer than 3 meters... ( this means that in case of hard braking there a big chance he will slam me) . Suddenly i saw a big pothole ahead of me and i just run over it with the clutch pressed down... What do you suggest in that situation if you already have a certain speed? Speed up or go like this?

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:33 pm

Remedith wrote:

amazing article. Few months ago, i was on a city road and behind me there was a car closer than 3 meters... ( this means that in case of hard braking there a big chance he will slam me) . Suddenly i saw a big pothole ahead of me and i just run over it with the clutch pressed down... What do you suggest in that situation if you already have a certain speed? Speed up or go like this?

Well, it's the same physics really. You want to transfer as much load as you can from your front axle - so you want to accelerate hard. At the same time, you want the lowest speed you can - so you start accelerating just the moment before you hit a pothole. Smile

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:35 pm

it will be intresting to see the result next time i see a pothole while i'm doing 70 km/h :p

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:43 pm

LOL I think I covered that kind of a situation here http://www.funandsafedriving.com/ftopict-86.html . Smile

Member Joined: Feb 02, 2010 Posts: 26

Never hit the path hole at speeds greater than 20miles per hour. There are greater chance that you damage your car. so just apply brakes before the path hole and drive safely.

Member Joined: Jan 12, 2010 Posts: 41

Yeah before crossing the potholes ensure that you are driving in 1st or 2nd gear.

Member Joined: Feb 03, 2010 Posts: 19

Never hit the path hole directly at high speed which may damage your axil for low body cars if the path hole is deep. Rather slow down.