This Is Exactly How Road Potholes Are Created In Nigeria & How It Damages Cars

One of the major challenges car owners in Nigeria face is the issue of roadside potholes both on residential roads and highways. These potholes range from small to medium and, eventually, big ones that can potentially damage any car’s suspension. 

This has become a huge issue for Nigerian car owners, who are tasked with negotiating the best roads that either have no potholes or “bearable” potholes. But what leads to road potholes? 

This article shares what causes potholes and how potholes damage cars.

What’s The Cause Of Portholes?

Potholes develop because roads are constantly under use. However, that’s not the major reason why this road menace happens. In Nigeria, for instance, the increase in potholes is a result of the poor quality of road construction materials used during construction. It’s also a result of poor workmanship.

As such, water seeps underneath the road pavements through cracks or gaps developed by cars passing through. At some point, the underneath becomes saturated, and as more vehicles pass through the road, it weakens, and the pavement shifts until it has formed potholes. When these roads are not immediately attended to, the potholes continue to expand.

Also, MotorBiscuits, notes that extreme heat and heavy traffic contribute to pothole formation. As heavy temperatures could cause road pavement to expand and weaken the road surface. Heavy traffic is another significant cause of road potholes.

How Do Potholes Damage A Car?

Potholes cause serious damage to cars. It leads to tire damage, wheel damage, suspension and steering damage, exhaust damage, undercarriage damage, and body damage. Generally, potholes have the potential to ruin a car completely. This is one reason many are sceptical about purchasing Nigerian-used cars.

When a car tire enters a pothole, it can lead to a punctured tire, or it can create a bubble leading the tire to blow out. This is an expensive situation, as the car owner will be forced to replace the car tire.

When a car wheel hits a pothole, the wheel could bend or crack. This leads to balance problems or even a flat tire. Oftentimes, the wheel will need to be replaced.

A car hitting a pothole could damage the suspension and steering, leading to car handling issues. The solution to this is usually to replace the damaged parts and realign the vehicle.

When cars hit a pothole, the exhaust system could damage, leading to issues like a damaged catalytic converter, making it difficult to emit gas particles through the exhaust. 

Conclusion

Road potholes are common in Nigeria, and there’s no definite solution to these issues yet due to poor road maintenance in the country. Nearly half of the car issues many Nigerians have are due to bad roads. However, car owners in Nigeria could apply caution when passing through roads with potholes to reduce possible wear and tear. 

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