Are You Road Trip Ready?

This post is part of a paid partnership with Cooper Tires, which provided information for this story. Learn more about protecting your tires and your car by following the hashtag #TakeOnPotholes on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Growing up, I loved nothing more than jumping in the car with family to known and unknown places. It is truly the reason that I can't sit still and travel as often as I can. While I try to never let the seasons deter my travel plans, often it is unavoidable. This is why the slightest peak of sun and increase in temperature excites me.

I want to believe that winter is behind us but I can't be certain how long spring will allow us to enjoy her. The first peak of sun reminded me that it was time to investigate the remnants that winter left behind.

In the Philadelphia area, the constant snow, salt and plow wrecks havoc on our roads and the road crews just continue to patch the holes. This results in the holes growing bigger and bigger. Pothole-Delphia has caused drivers hundreds of dollars in repair work and the complaints continue to grow. Philadelphia Mayor Kenney plans to invest $200 million over a six-year period to repave city streets.

This is great news because driving certain roads are like dodging obstacles in a video game. One of the easiest ways to avoid pothole damage is to try to avoid hitting the pothole, by looking ahead and scanning the road to spot potential problems, or avoiding puddles whenever possible, as they could be hiding huge potholes. Drivers should make sure their tires have adequate tread depth and are properly inflated, as they are the only part of your car to come in contact with the road—and the pothole. It seems that pothole are unavoidable but Cooper Tires shares some tips on the right way to tackle them.

Related: How to Stop Potholes from Ruining Your Day….and Tires

Tackling a Pothole the Right Way

• Slow down when approaching the pothole

• Release the brakes before your tires come in contact with the pothole

• Roll gently through the pothole

Wouldn't it be great if after each car payment that your car would replenish itself. It would automatically, have a fresh engine, oil changed, full tank of gas and new tires. Wishful thinking I know but a girl can dream.

TIRE MAINTENANCE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE TOP OF MIND FOR DRIVERS, BUT BEING AWARE OF HAZARDS ALONG THE ROAD, SUCH AS POTHOLES, CAN HELP SAVE MONEY IN REPAIRS AND INCREASE THE LIFESPAN OF TIRES.”

JESSICA EGERTON, DIRECTOR OF BRAND DEVELOPMENT, Cooper Tire

Get road ready with this ten minute tip from Cooper Tires.

• Check the pressure.
• Check the tread depth.
• Check the overall condition for cuts, cracks, splits, punctures, irregular wear and bulges.

Practicing tire safety now will keep your car running longer.

FYI: “Checking tread depth is easy, and can be done with a U.S. Penny. The tread on your tires should be more than 2/32 of an inch deep and can be checked by inserting a U.S. penny into the tread, with Lincoln’s head facing down. If the top of Lincoln’s head is covered by tread, there is at least a minimum acceptable amount of tread. If the top of his head is visible at any point around the tire, it is time to replace the tire.” ~Cooper Tire