Hit a Pothole? What to Check Before Driving On

Hit a pothole in Corby? Here's what to check straight after impact, which warning signs mean stop, and when to get your car looked at properly.

Most pothole impacts are more startling than damaging. But a firm knock can knock things out of line, so it's worth a few calm checks before you carry on driving.

Straight after impact: what to look at

If it's safe to do so, pull over somewhere sensible and check:

• Tyres – look for bulges, cuts or the tyre sitting oddly on the rim. A sidewall bulge means don't drive on it.
• Wheels – kerbed alloys or a wheel that looks slightly bent are worth noting, even if the car still drives fine.
• Steering feel – does the car pull to one side, or does the steering wheel feel off-centre?
• Noises – clunks, knocks or rattling over bumps that weren't there before.
• Warning lights – particularly tyre pressure warnings, which often show up first.

Signs that mean get it checked, not shrugged off

A one-off small bump usually isn't a problem. But get the car inspected if you notice uneven tyre wear developing, the steering pulling persistently, vibration through the wheel at speed, or the car feeling less stable on bends than before. These are reasons to book an inspection rather than symptoms you can diagnose yourself from the driver's seat.

Why potholes cause this in the first place

A hard impact can affect suspension components, steering geometry and wheel alignment, even when there's no visible damage. That's not a claim that every pothole causes harm – plenty don't – but it explains why a check makes sense if something feels different.

The local picture

North Northants Council's executive has updated its Highway Inspection Maintenance and Response Framework, setting out how the highways authority will inspect and respond to highway defects, aiming for faster, more permanent repairs. According to the council, a pothole needs to be at least 40mm deep on busy roads and 50mm deep on local roads to count as a safety defect, so plenty of rough patches on Corby's roads won't meet that threshold and won't get fixed quickly. That's simply useful context for why drivers still hit bumps worth checking after – it doesn't mean any specific pothole caused a fault.

If in doubt, get it looked at

Central Autopoint on Maylan Road handles suspension, steering, tyres and wheel alignment for cars and vans, so if a pothole has left your car feeling different, it's easy enough to pop in and have it checked properly rather than guessing. No drama needed – just a second opinion from someone who can put it on a ramp.

Prepared as locally relevant editorial content for human review before publication on the garage website.