Ringroad rescue are getting more & more cars & vans entering the workshops with broken coil springs & damaged steering & suspension parts, with the most severely damaged vehicles also damaging wheels & tyre’s.
The current pothole epidemic is the cause of the vast majority of this damage, causing added financial burden for both drivers & councils, but the most worrying concern is the potential danger in it leading to a rise in tyre related road casualties.
The warning is issued by TyreSafe, the UK’s tyre safety organisation & comes after the consumer watchdog Which? found Councils in England & Wales paid out £22.8 million in compensation to motorists for pothole related damages in 2012.
“Hitting a pothole can cause a number of tyre & wheel problems which can have a serious impact on road safety” explains TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson.
“Visible damage like buckled wheels or lumps in the tyre are the obvious signs of a problem which must be addressed by a professional, but hidden dangers such as a cracked alloy wheel can be just as dangerous”
If you do have the unfortunate pleasure of hitting a pot hole then you must check your tyre pressures regularly over the next few days to ensure that there is no gradual loss of pressure, correct pressure is important for safe driving, effecting handling & cornering also driving for prolonged periods on under inflated tyres can cause them to overheat & suffer from rapid deflation. This can be extremely difficult to control as it would normally occur at high speeds on motorways risking not only the life’s of the vehicle occupants but also other road users.
You should also check the surfaces of the vehicles tyre’s for any cuts, lumps or bulges, also when driving the vehicle after hitting a pot hole look out for any changes in the feel of the drive or the handling which can indicate a problem with wheel & suspension misalignment.
You can check the correct pressure for your vehicles tyre’s in your owners handbook, inside your fuel filler flap or on a plate on the drivers door sill, or you can check online at www.tyresafe.org
Under inflated tyre’s will also effect your vehicles fuel consumption & cause your vehicles tyre’s to wear unevenly & require replacement sooner than expected.
If your in any doubt at all about the condition of your wheels or tyre’s please feel free to call down to the Ringroad rescue garage & we will give them a quick inspection for you.