State's roads going to pot
SUNSHINE Coast drivers beware.
Heavy rain since the end of last year has left more than hundreds of millions of dollars in road damage throughout Queensland.
Peak state motoring body, the RACQ, has helped more than 190 motorists a day with flat tyres since the beginning of the year, it revealed yesterday.
That is almost 41,000 callouts solely for flat tyres - and does not take into consideration the thousands of drivers who choose to change flats themselves.
On the Coast, 2522 drivers - almost a dozen a day - have asked for help with flat tyres since January 1.
RACQ executive manager technical and safety policy Steve Spalding said while the instances of tyre damage could not all be attributed to potholes and other road surface faults, it did highlight the need for motorists to be particularly careful.
"While most roads damaged during the 2011 floods and Cyclone Yasi have been patched, the major program of flood recovery works to resurface and strengthen roads and highways throughout Queensland will be continuing for the next couple of years," Mr Spalding said.
"During this time, motorists should take extra care on the roads, particularly after rain."
Mr Spalding said drivers should slow down if the road surface was not up to par and make sure their cars stayed a safe distance from the vehicle in front so that they could spot potholes and avoid them.
"Bear in mind that if the pothole is full of water, it could actually be quite deep and potentially damage your tyres and wheel rims," he said.
"The better the condition your tyres are in, the less susceptible they are to road damage. So ensure your tyres are well maintained, inflated to the correct level and have a decent tread."
Mr Spalding said if a car hit a pothole, the driver should pull over immediately and check for obvious damage.
"Steering vibration, the car pulling to one side, or unusual noises from the tyres or suspension are problem signs," he said.
Mr Spalding said potholes could lead to costly car repairs.
A POTHOLE LOT OF TROUBLE
Sunshine Coast RACQ callouts for help with flat tyres (in the first six months of each year):
2012 - 2522 (11.8 a day)
2011 - 2336 (11.0 a day)
2010 - 1012 (4.8 a day)
2009 - 1920 (9.0 a day)
