The roads in New Jersey aren’t always as smooth as can be, and as a driver who constantly travels them, you may have encountered your fair share of potholes. But outside of being a common roadway annoyance, just what sort of damage can a pothole really do?
Les Schwab starts off by listing the type of damage that potholes can cause to your car tires alone. Puncturing the tire itself is a big concern, but that’s not the only thing that can happen. You can actually damage the side walls or belts of the tire. In a particularly rough impact, you can even throw off the entire alignment of your car, which can throw off your gas mileage and overall functionality of your vehicle.
Tires are expensive to replace already, but did you know that hitting a pothole can hurt other, even more expensive or vital parts of your car? Damage to engine parts, suspension, and the body of your vehicle are all possible. The issues will likely present themselves quickly in the form of flat tires, debris at the crash site, or check engine lights. In some cases, you may need to keep a closer eye out to identify the damage done.
Generally speaking, the slower you’re going and the smaller the pothole, the less damage your car will take. But that doesn’t mean driving slowly will always keep your car safe. If your car has suffered expensive damage because of a pothole on someone else’s property, you may be entitled to financial compensation.