Potholes vs. your pocket - Here's how to win

BRITS POS - BRITS - If you've recently felt a nasty jolt while driving or noticed your car pulling a little more than usual, chances are you've met one of South Africa's most infamous road villains - the dreaded pothole.

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Dylan Petzer, National Vice Chairman of the Tyre, Equipment and Parts Association (TEPA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), says it's officially pothole season thanks to the April rains, and South African motorists are dodging craters like it's a real-life game of Mario Kart. "And unfortunately, when you lose, your rims pay the price," he says.

According to Petzer, it's not just your tyre that takes the hit. "In about 80% of cases, it's the rim that gets bent, cracked, or completely wrecked. "And we're not talking about minor damage - rim damage can impact your car's alignment and suspension too. That's when things go from annoying to expensive."

Petzer says TEPA is seeing an increased percentage of cars arriving at tyre centres in Gauteng with pothole-related damage - and rim replacements have more than doubled over the last few years.