Essential Winter Car Maintenance Tips to Avoid Breakdowns
Stay safe this winter with expert South African car maintenance tips. Learn crucial battery and service checks to avoid breakdowns and save money with Fixxr.
Read More3 December 2025
Bayabulela Jolobe | 1 March 2024 | Suspension System, Tyres and Alignment
Potholes are a common hazard that can cause significant damage to your car and pose safety risks to drivers. In this article, we’ll provide some essential tips for navigating potholes safely and minimising damage to your vehicle while driving on pothole-filled roads.
One of the most important things to do when approaching a pothole is to slow down to minimise the impact on your car. Reducing your speed gives your car’s suspension more time to absorb the shock and reduce the risk of damage.
Maintaining a safe following distance can give you more time to react to potholes on the road. This will help you avoid sudden braking or swerving, which can be dangerous and cause further damage to your car.
Maintain your eyes on the road ahead and scan for potholes. Anticipating potholes can help you avoid them or minimise their impact. This is especially important when driving on poorly maintained roads or after heavy rainfall.
Swerving to avoid a pothole can be dangerous, especially if there are other cars around you. Instead, slow down and try to drive around the pothole if it’s safe to do so.
Underinflated tyres can cause damage to your car’s suspension, wheels, and tyres. Properly inflated tyres can help minimise damage from potholes. Check your tyre pressure regularly and ensure your tyres are inflated to the recommended pressure.
If you’ve hit a pothole, having your suspension checked by a trusted mechanic is a good idea. Damage to your suspension can cause your car to handle poorly and lead to costly repairs down the road.
If you encounter a particularly large or dangerous pothole, report it to your local authorities. Reporting potholes can help fix them promptly and prevent damage to other drivers’ cars, ultimately helping ensure safer driving conditions.
Navigating pothole-filled roads can be challenging, but following these tips can minimise damage to your car and help you stay safe on the road. If you would like a step-by-step guide on How to File a Claim for Pothole Damage Compensation in South Africa, click the highlighted text in this sentence.
As the Head of Consumer and Operations, Bayabulela is responsible for continuously serving our customers, increasing our supply base, and driving the next phase of our business growth.
What that means is highlighting the Fixxr opportunity for as many potential mechanic partners as possible. The role also includes broadening and deepening our platform in existing markets, scaling into new markets and continuing to set the bar for safety and compliance in our industry.
He typically starts his days by diving into customer data and mechanic partner feedback. He also has to consistently evaluate Fixxr’s business strategy and drive governance and accountability in concert with our cross-functional partners.
Bayabulela has built a breadth of skills and experience across operations, strategy, marketing and product development.
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