Hitting the Brakes for Potholes May Worsen Alignment Damage

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Many motorists approaching potholes jam on their brakes and hope for the best. But instead of minimizing damage to the car, braking hard can make the problem worse, says Dave Bowman of Bendix Brakes.

“Potholes are dangerous,” Bowman says. “They cause front-end misalignment, which in turn can damage brakes.”

If you can avoid the pothole, he says, release your brakes just before the impact. “Pressing down hard on the brakes as you enter the pothole may cause the brakes as you enter the pothole may cause the wheels to lock , which makes for a harder impact than if the tires were rolling.”

If you do hit a pothole hard, he advises haing the front-end brakes inspected for damage as soon as possible.