Potholes causing a 'hole' lot of trouble for business drivers

17 February 2010

Record numbers of potholes in road surfaces mean that business drivers need to be more careful then ever, according to IAM Fleet and Drive & Survive.

Pothole advice from IAM Fleet and Drive & Survive, which is a partner of the Driving for Better Business campaign:

• Leave plenty of room behind the vehicle in front so that you can see the road surface before you drive or ride on it
• If you hit a pothole accidentally, make a point of checking tyres once you’ve stopped. Check the inner as well as the outer tyre wall, which may have been damaged as a result
• Avoid suddenly pulling out to avoid a hole - you might discover that there is a motorcyclist trying to get past you, or encounter an oncoming vehicle
• Potholes tend to reappear in the same place again and again as previous repairs fail - remember where you saw one and expect it to be there again
• Be extra vigilant on roads with lots of lorries and also around bus stops. Extra pressure is put on the road surface wherever heavy vehicles stop, start or turn
• Report a pothole to the local authority as an early repair could prevent a future accident.
• TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation and another campaign partner, says that by ensuring wheels are correctly aligned, drivers can minimise the effects of any pothole damage and ensure they remain as safe as possible.