There are a number of hazards out there that you should be aware of in order to make sure that you don’t end up running headlong into a potentially expensive (and avoidable) auto repair. At Fort Collins Foreign Car Service, we unfortunately see many people come in for car repair that occurred because of a preventable situation. The road can be a dangerous and tough place. It is important that you are armed with knowledge about how to avoid the most common hazards on the highway in order to make sure that you stay safe and your car stays in one piece. In this edition of Car Help 101, we’re going to go over avoiding these common hazards.

There are a number of common hazards that you may encounter on the road, which is why we want to dedicate this edition of Car Help 101 to educating you about them and how you can avoid an expensive auto repair that is usually part and parcel with a close encounter with any number of these hazards.

First up on the list is black ice. Things are warming up in northern Colorado for spring so you likely won’t have to deal with this one for a while, but it is one of the most dangerous hazards that you may encounter. Black ice is essentially invisible ice on the road which can cause you to lose traction and possibly control of your vehicle. To avoid an accident and car repair from this type of incident, you should make sure to moderate your speed during the winter time and especially to accelerate and break gently. If you do lose control and start spinning, turn your wheel into the direction of the spin or skid in order to regain control.

Another common hazard is the pothole or uneven road. This hazard is something that you just have to keep an eye out for. If you are watching the road, you should be able to avoid them without issue, but keeping your speed reasonable will help ensure you don’t require an expensive auto repair after hitting a pothole if you do miss seeing it.

The third and final hazard that we want to talk about in this edition of Car Help 101 are wild animals. In order to avoid serious damage to your vehicle, you need to heed any signs that you see which indicate animal crossings. This should make you more alert and cause you to slow your speed to a reasonable level. Especially in areas where the sides of the road are wooded, animals can quickly dash out in front of you. Be ready by moving at a reasonable pace and don’t swerve when you see an animal, simple apply even pressure to your brakes.

Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid some of the more common hazards on the roads and keep you and your car safe and sound.