Pot holes on Polish roads - to swerve or not to swerve

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Edited by: Wroclaw Boy Jan 19, 11, 18:30 #1
Swerve and possibly cause an accident or just eat them up at 80 KMH, mashing the tyres and gradually destroying the shocks? At night you cant see those horrifying little buggers till youre right on top of them.

saschaThreads: 13 Posts: 3,862 Joined: Jun 10, 10 ♂	Jan 19, 11, 18:31 #2
Wroclaw Boy: At night you cant see those horrifying little buggers till youre right on top of them. Radar? Sonar? Better light on the car? :-)

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Jan 19, 11, 18:35 #3
sascha: Better light on the car? :-) Full beams great except it dazzles the oncoming cars, when i have to eat one up i swear like no tomorrow, i hate them. Sometimes when you hit a nice deep one full on its like the tyre doesn't exist its feels in the car like its just ramming straight into the wheel rim. Ahh horrible..

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Jan 19, 11, 18:40 #4
Wroclaw Boy: like its just ramming straight into the wheel rim. a number of examples of such damage were shown on a news item a few days ago. some roads are in a terrible state, but some were bad even before the recent freeze.

HarryThreads: 62 Posts: 8,508 Joined: May 2, 07 ♂ [Suspended]	Jan 19, 11, 19:00 #5
Wroclaw Boy: Swerve and possibly cause an accident or just eat them up at 80 KMH, mashing the tyres and gradually destroying the shocks? Swerving isn't the best of ideas, but it's certainly a better idea than braking. The best solution is to just drive more slowly. Also, fitting smaller wheels with higher profile tires helps. And if you've got run-flats fitted, get different tires!

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Edited by: Wroclaw Boy Jan 19, 11, 19:05 #6

Wroclaw:

some roads are in a terrible state, but some were bad even before the recent freeze.

generally where i live the roads are OK its only after the big freezes that they become pot hole city, the road repair crews are very efficient though i have to say. A truck, some gravel, a couple of dogs bodies a bit of tar and they can make marvelously quick cowboy repairs.

The worst road i ever drove (perhaps it was the worst because it was one of my first driving experiences in Poland) was the 44 from Krakow to Oscwiecim (Auschwitz), i can even remember the road name even though it was 8 years ago. We were in a little hired car - a Toyota Yaris in February, and that road was just unbelievable for me. Pot holes everywhere.

HarryThreads: 62 Posts: 8,508 Joined: May 2, 07 ♂ [Suspended]	Jan 19, 11, 19:07 #7
Wroclaw Boy: a little hired car That would be the best solution to pot holes.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Jan 19, 11, 19:10 #8
Harry: That would be the best solution to pot holes. yeh that same car i drove around zakopane on ice with snow barriers everywhere, i remember thinking im just gonna plow this little car straight into one at any moment. Those light little FWD toy cars really are the best for snow, they just go.

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Jan 19, 11, 19:43 #9

One of them mashed up one of the classic alloys I'd just fitted to my car; couple of hundred zlots to have the rim bent back into shape and balanced again properly, which I wasn't happy about. Ach, to Polska.

I certainly wouldn't advocate ploughing into one at 80kmh; if it causes a problem to your car, it'll be a big one (collapsed suspension shock, broken rim, burst tyre) which will be far more problematic than giving the steering a little wiggle. Consider it Poland's version of the Elk Test.

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Jan 19, 11, 19:56 #10

Richfilth:

I certainly wouldn't advocate ploughing into one at 80kmh;

If you dont drive that speed or higher on the A roads you'll be over taken, if there is a pot hole then your doubly fcuked. Then you have the additional hazard of being a slow car, if you know the road all well and good. What amazes me to this day are old crappers like 1994 Escorts hammering over pot holes, eating them up and just keep going.... The mind boggles.

Damned if you do damned if you dont, what ever the thread suggests i swerve like a mutha fcuker when i can get away with it. Occasionally driving on the opposite side of the road to avoid the little buggers, when you have to eat one, eat it you will, there is no option.

grubasThreads: 20 Posts: 1,452 Joined: Feb 1, 10 ♂	Jan 19, 11, 20:03 #11
Swerve.

RichfilthThreads: 8 Posts: 327 Joined: Mar 8, 09 ♂	Jan 19, 11, 20:17 #12
Wroclaw Boy: old crappers like 1994 Escorts hammering over pot holes Christ, I've had dozens of Escorts over the years, you can throw all sorts of stuff at them and they'll plough on and on, as long as it's not a light rain 'cos then the electrics cut out all over the place. But those old Mark V's are normally running 65% profile tyres, which helps a lot with the pothole problem.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Jan 19, 11, 20:33 #13
Richfilth: I've had dozens of Escorts over the years I had an Escort van and two Fiesta XR2's. Wish i had one of those now for pot hole days.

RichfilthThreads: 8 Posts: 327 Joined: Mar 8, 09 ♂	Jan 19, 11, 20:55 #14
Every day's a Pot Hole Day on Poland's roads.

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Jan 19, 11, 21:19 #15

Just paid over 500 zlots for repairs to shocks etc.

I think if everyone sent their bills to the local government then they might get the idea!

BTW, does anyone know anything about road building/maintenance?

To an idiot like me, this practice of patching up each individual hole seems a bit crazy as it seems the area around it is weaker and is next to go (the next year). Wouldn't re-laying larger sections be more effective?

wildroverThreads: 180 Posts: 8,188 Joined: Jun 7, 07 ♂	Jan 19, 11, 21:29 #16
Trevek: BTW, does anyone know anything about road building/maintenance? Nope....nobody in Poland has a clue about such things....

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Jan 20, 11, 02:19 #17

Trevek:

Wouldn't re-laying larger sections be more effective?

Only if they reinforce asphalt with plastic mesh. Lot of the streets in Olsztyn are build of cobblestones and after WW2 were covered by asphalt only.

Last week, in Olsztyn, they repaired outer lane on Sikorskiego Avenue.
God bless them w dzieciach :)

Wroclaw Boy:

Swerve and possibly cause an accident or just eat them up at 80 KMH

Don't swerve. Just slightly swing of the car body to relief attacking wheel. If there are two pot holes, one for left and one for right wheel a prayer is recommended ;)

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Jan 20, 11, 02:32 #18
peter_olsztyn: If there are two pot holes, one for left and one for right wheel a prayer is recommended ;) Ahh the old double whammy.

HarryThreads: 62 Posts: 8,508 Joined: May 2, 07 ♂ [Suspended]	Jan 20, 11, 03:11 #19
peter_olsztyn: If there are two pot holes, one for left and one for right wheel a prayer is recommended ;) Either that or Swedish flick the car round them.

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jan 20, 11, 04:03 #20
Wroclaw Boy: Swerve and possibly cause an accident or just eat them up at 80 KMH, mashing the tyres and gradually destroying the shocks? I think the worst case is when you brake over said pot hole. Can easily kill control arms, quite a bit more expensive than just a set of shocks...

Pinching PeteThreads: 1 Posts: 1,111 Joined: Feb 23, 08 ♂	Jan 20, 11, 05:04 #21
Alright, somebody posts some picks, youtube of these dreaded Polish potholes..

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Edited by: wildrover Jan 20, 11, 09:20 #22

terrible

frdThreads: 8 Posts: 1,956 Joined: Feb 3, 09 ♂	Jan 20, 11, 12:50 #23
Depending on the traffic, I usually drive onto the opposite side of the road. If it's not possible I do swerve. But, I live in small city after one or two drives I know all the locations and where to be careful ;)

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Jan 20, 11, 13:13 #24

frd:

But, I live in small city after one or two drives I know all the locations and where to be careful ;)

the worst time is after a freeze, couple that with the trucks constantly driving over the same areas and the roads really can be dreadful in a matter of weeks.

Pinching Pete:

Alright, somebody posts some picks, youtube of these dreaded Polish potholes..

theres some pics on a google search but not really accurate, ill snap some shots next time im out.

there was one particularly annoying pot hole that i just couldnt seem to avoid, every time i drove the same road i hit it, i knew it was there just couldnt see it until wham ohh yeh there it is.

frdThreads: 8 Posts: 1,956 Joined: Feb 3, 09 ♂	Jan 20, 11, 15:19 #25
Wroclaw Boy: the worst time is after a freeze, couple that with the trucks constantly driving over the same areas and the roads really can be dreadful in a matter of weeks. Yeah, especially, if you see the road crumbling in places then you can be sure, after what you've mentioned, there's gonna be a carnage later on.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Jan 26, 11, 11:50 #26
Ordered a Pizza last night then jumped into the car to collect, the front right (pot hole) tyre was as flat as a pan cake. Guess the pot holes were a direct cause of that.

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