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Don't Get Swallowed Up on the Road

State Farm(R) says Potholes Can Be Costly

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., March 17 -- Winter brings a number of driving hazards, but one of the most hated is the pothole. An encounter with one can leave damaged tires, wheels and suspension components in its wake.

Potholes can occur in any region or climate but, at this time of year, they're especially prominent in areas known for ice, snow and below-freezing temperatures. The freezing and thawing cycles allow moisture to seep into the road surface which causes the road to crumble.

There's not much that can be done to prevent the deterioration of the driving surface, but there are some things you can do to protect yourself:

  -- Try to limit your travel to roads you know very well.  That knowledge
     could keep you from hitting a chuckhole and seriously damaging your car.
  -- When driving at night, try to drive on well-lit roads so you can see
     the road surface.  Once again, it's probably a good idea to limit your
     travel to roads you know very well.
  -- Slow down.  Give yourself a chance to see the pothole and avoid it.
  -- If you hit a pothole, carefully inspect your tires and wheels for
     possible damage.  Note how your car handles in the aftermath.  If it
     "pulls" or you feel a wobble in the steering, you may need to have your
     car checked out by a mechanic.
  -- If you must hit a pothole, do your braking before impact.  There's less
     damage when a tire is rolling than when it is skidding over a hole
     during braking.

While damage caused to a car by a pothole may be covered under the collision portion of the State Farm auto policy, there are some things to remember. If the damage to the vehicle is to the tire only, it is not covered. Damage to the vehicle is subject to the collision deductible. We do encourage our policyholders to contact us if they believe they have a claim.

For more safe driving tips, go to statefarm.com.

State Farm(R) insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 76 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.7 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com(R) or in Canada statefarm.ca(R).