Insurance Agency Group Warns Drivers Against Potholes

Posted in Auto Insurance

March 5th, 2010

With so many auto insurance concerns, the last thing you want to think about is another reason to have to file a claim, which is why the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America is warning drivers about the dangers of potholes.

Everyone is accustomed to seeing these concrete gaps in the road when driving, but most don’t know just how dangerous they can be and how important it is to practice safe driving around them.

The Dangers of Potholes

There are many dangers associated with potholes, especially when they have been aggravated by extreme snowstorms and other nasty weather. Usually, winter will bring difficult conditions and spring will reveal the potholes, making roads dangerous for motorists.

For auto insurance claims purposes, as well as personal safety, it’s good to know that hitting a pothole can do tons of damage to a car, including:

• Blowing a tire
• Throwing a car off course and in route to curbs, walls or even pedestrians
• Causing severe wheel misalignment

The Costs of a Pothole

In addition to the inherent dangers of a pothole and theneed to practice safe driving are the potential costs associated with hitting one.

To receive a simple wheel alignment could cost between $50 and $500. That’s not to mention the costs you could incur from crashing into a structure or – much worse – a person.

How to Avoid Them

The main problem with potholes is that they are very difficult to avoid. Sometimes you don’t have time to react and if you can react, it may result in you steering into another car. The best you can do is try to take on the safest driving practices possible to avoid hitting one without hitting anything else in the process.

While you may be accustomed to receiving advice on ways to avoid drunk drivers – or avoid being a drunk driver yourself – there are other dangers on the road, potholes being one of them. So if you want to avoid increasing your auto insurance rates and endangering you and others on the road, take precautions around potholes.