Springtime in South Dakota

Yes, spring in South Dakota, that glorious time of year when you can expect temperatures in the 60s and 70s and diving down to below freezing at night. Throw in the melting snow, a strategically placed rain or two, and it is a magical crop of potholes!!!!

But with all the highway projects that seem to go on, its unlikely the state can get to all of them to get them taken care of. With that in mind, lets cover some of the things you should be trying to do when it comes to driving and having bunches of potholes.

Know what they will do to your car. Potholes are going to cause damage. Sometimes it smaller damager, stuff you may not be able to see, a ding to the rim, a chunk of tread ripped off the tire, maybe a cracked CV boot. Then there are times you hit one that chips a tooth, throws you forward giving you a world class case of whiplash in the process, and you end up with a blown out tire, or a broken shock or strut. And then there are ones that you can call the OMGs, the ones that cause so much damage that you end up filing a claim against your insurance to pay for the damage if you are carrying comprehensive coverage.

Slow down. This is physics, the faster your car is going when it hits a pothole, the more damage it is going to cause. So leave some extra space between you and the car in front of you and make sure other cars aren't swerving towards you to avoid a pothole as you are swerving towards them to avoid your own.

Grab onto that steering wheel!! Yep, if you have to take a pothole head on, hold on to that wheel like your hands were vice grips. This will help you maintain control instead of the vehicle bounding off into the oncoming traffic lane.

Check your tire pressure. If your tires are properly inflated, they are going to give you better traction, but will also provide a better cushion as you go over the pothole.

Hit your brakes before you hit the pothole, not as you hit it. You should be trying to glide your vehicle through the pothole instead of powering through it. The reason you don't want to hit the brakes when you are over the pothole is because extra force is applied to your front tires as you break due to the forward momentum of your vehicle. And that extra force may be the difference between a cracked CV boot and a broken strut and tie arm.

If your suspension is damaged, you should never put off the work due to the safety that your suspension provides, and if your hitting potholes with damaged suspension, well we do have lots and lots (bad English intended) of cars for you to choose from.