3 Things to do to save your car if you hit a pothole
Around 60% of our roads are riddled with potholes and are in need of maintenance, according to the South African Automobile Association. That means that for every 100km you drive, 60 of those kilometres puts your car at risk of serious damage, which could even result in an accident in which you could be hurt.
“Potholes are a leading cause of damage to cars in South Africa, and can result in misaligned wheels, a leaky undercarriage, and damaged engines, exhausts, and suspension… And that’s in addition to what could happen to your tyres, rims, and hubcaps,” says Wynand van Vuuren, spokesperson at King Price.
That’s pretty nasty stuff. So, here’s what to do if you hit a pothole.
- Don’t brake too hard.
Your first instinct might be to brace yourself and slam on the brakes, but you need to fight this reflex because braking will simply push the weight of your car into the pothole, causing even more damage.
- Don’t carry on driving.
We’ve all had that moment… Your car hits a bump in the road and you get that sinking feeling in your tummy. You know you should pull over and check if the damage is too severe to continue without assistance, but you have kids to pick up or a meeting to attend, or you just want to pretend that it didn’t happen.
Whatever the reason might be, you simply must pull over onto a safe spot and inspect your wheels and tyres to assess the damage. You don’t want to make the damage worse or get into an accident as a result of a flat tyre, wonky wheel, or misaligned steering.
- Report the pothole and claim for the damage.
Become a superhero and report the pothole to the authorities. If the pothole you’ve hit is on a national road, report it to the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL). If it’s on a municipal road, you can report it to the municipal district or the Department of Public Works where the road is located. This way, it might get repaired and you could help others avoid your fate.
Your next step is to report the incident to your insurer. These damages can be repaired and paid for by your insurance policy if you’ve opted for comprehensive car cover. This is typically the only type of insurance that will cover the cost of fixing or replacing your tyre if it has been damaged by a pothole.
To report this incident, see if you can stop safely and take pictures of the pothole and damage to your car, if you can. You should then call your insurer to report the incident and follow their instructions so that you can get your car sorted and back on the road in no time.
Cover your wheels, car, and finances.
Hitting a pothole can result in costly repairs, which you might not be able to afford. This is 1 of the reasons why you should consider getting insurance.
In fact, car insurance is essential to cover the costs associated with a wide range of damages that can happen to your car, as well as expenses related to injuries to other drivers, passengers, or pedestrians if you’re involved in an accident.
These costs can be extremely high, but your insurance premium doesn’t have to be high. If you shop around and compare quotes from top companies, like King Price, you’ll be able to protect yourself from these incidents for an affordable price. For instance, King Price offers affordable cover that decreases every month in line with the depreciating value of your car.
If you want to get cover for the first time or are considering changing your insurance to King Price to get their royal touch in your life, then click here for a quote, call their sales team on 0860 50 50 50, or send an email to king@kingprice.co.za
Can I claim for pothole damage? https://t.co/QTpnJ46Qmd #potholes #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/QY36zWSzkD
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) February 19, 2016
