Watch Out for Traps; Don't get into Holes!

While a bumpy road may be a minor nuisance to drivers, a road littered with potholes can cause serious property damage to the your car and even result in a car accident. Potholes are bowl-shaped openings in the road that can be up to 10 inches deep and are caused by wear-and-tear and weathering of the roads. They occur when the top layer of the road, the asphalt, has worn away and exposed the concrete base. Once a pothole forms, it can stretch to several feet, with rainwater accelerating the process. If they become large enough, vehicles suffer serious and expensive damages when it comes to tires and suspensions.

Potholes put a huge strain on vehicle’s suspension and shocks. It can cause unexpected break down of vehicles. They can also cause an impact similar to that of a 35-mph vehicle accident, if deep enough, resulting in serious accidents.

When a pothole is big, or vehicle is not equipped to handle the blow, it will lead to losing control of vehicle. This leads to car accidents that, many times, results in fatalities deaths.

Motorcycle drivers are at special risk of injury if they ride over a pothole. Having just two wheels on the ground and a lower weight than cars, motorcycles are ill equipped to handle potholes. Coupled with fewer safety features, motorcycle accidents caused by potholes are very deadly.

Cars and truck are also at risk, as well. Their wheels may get stuck into potholes and result in breakdowns.

The manhole covers that serve as top opening to an underground utility vault used to house an access point for making connections or performing maintenance on underground and buried public utility and other services including sewers, telephone, electricity, storm drains and gas are also a threat to safe motoring.

Very often the manhole covers protrude on the roads prompting the motorists to swerve and avoid such covers. Sudden and frequent such maneuvers potentially disturb the traffic flow resulting in accidents at times.

Sometimes the manhole covers are stolen leaving a gaping hole. While the wheels of vehicles get stuck into it, sometimes pedestrians especially children fall into it and drown.