01 Jan, 2024
If your car isn’t properly aligned, you run the risk of wearing out your tires prematurely, which is a driving hazard. It’s recommended you have your car’s alignment checked regularly, but you can also take preventative measures by knowing what to watch out for before heading out on that long summer road trip.
- Accidents: Getting into an accident has the potential to ruin your day, but it’s just as hard on your vehicle’s alignment. This is an especially common side effect of more serious collisions, but even a fender bender can knock out the alignment. Watch out for signs of misalignment even if you had a very light collision with a standing object.
- Curbs: Similarly, hitting or driving over curbs has the potential to affect your vehicle’s alignment, especially since it only affects one or two wheels at a time. If you struggle with gauging the distance to the nearest curb, practicing in an empty lot can help you learn your car’s natural stopping distance and turning radius.
- Potholes: Finally, driving on poor-quality roads can also have a disastrous long-term effect on alignment. Hitting a single pothole may not cause it, but regularly driving over the same one in a daily commute likely will.