One of the top driver complaints is the quality of the roads they drive upon. You can do all the maintenance possible, but if your car traverses rough roads every day, that will affect your gas mileage, the rate at which you need repairs, and more. While there’s little you can do about road quality, you can drive with these bad roads in mind. To learn how to drive on rough, uneven roads, here are some helpful tips.
Let Off the Gas
The first piece of advice is simple: drive slowly. Drive slower than you may feel comfortable, in fact. While you grow accustomed to driving near the speed limit, uneven roads demand that you determine a speed you’re comfortable driving at to preserve your car. Driving slower also allows you more time to survey your surroundings as you pass and avoid problem areas.
Be Aware of Standing Water
While there are several causes of tire damage, forceful impacts from driving over potholes are common when on bad roads. While it’s possible to evade potholes, standing water is the true enemy. Standing water is deceptive because it’s difficult to ascertain its depth—in some circumstances, it could hide a jarring pothole that damages your tires, wheel alignment, or other components. Help your car out and don’t trust these pools of standing water; avoid them responsibly.
Grip Your Steering Wheel
This may sound obvious, it’s surprisingly practical—intentionally grip your steering wheel on bad roads. Driving over an unexpected bump can suddenly jerk the wheel out of your hands and lead to dangerous driving as you scramble to regain control. Gripping the wheel helps you anticipate these surprises and proactively maintain control.
Don’t Be Afraid to Turn Around
Our final tip for driving on rough, uneven roads is to be willing to turn around if necessary. Rather than press on, you need to know your car’s limits. While finding another way will cost you some time, it’s better than ending up roadside with a car problem or heading to the mechanic for a costly repair.
