Rough city roads may have elevated motorists’ blood pressure in recent weeks, but their vehicles’ tire pressure and mechanical components shouldn’t have been affected.
That’s the assessment of staff at local automotive shops, who say concerns about icy ruts and bumps damaging cars and trucks aren’t justified.
“I wish it was,” chuckled Dave Gillard, manager at the Certigard (Petro-Canada) centre on Ross Street.
But, he continued, a vehicle must sustain a “harsh shock” for mechanical problems to result.
“So if there’s a pothole in the road and a car goes over it at 50 K, it’s that initial shock that does it.” Don McIntosh, general manager at Mid-Alta Motors, agreed.
“Snow isn’t hard enough to do any damage to a vehicle, unless you’re driving 65 or 70 miles an hour.”
Asked about a recent letter to the editor in the Advocate, in which the write complained that bumpy road conditions necessitated a wheel-alignment for his car, McIntosh responded with skepticism.
“That was a stretch of the imagination.”
Even when the cold weather turned ruts rock-hard, vehicles in residential areas wouldn’t have been travelling fast enough to sustain damage, said Gillard.
“Unless you’re going to bounce yourself off the roof.” He and McIntosh said they haven’t experienced an increase in suspension and alignment work since the snow started piling up on roadways.
“I haven’t had anybody even asking about any kind of problem like that,” said McIntosh.
A service writer at Don’s Tire & Automotive Repair, who didn’t want to be identified, said the workload at his shop hadn’t increased either.
Greg Sikora, manager of Red Deer’s Public Works Department, said the city has received a multitude of complaints about snow and ice on the roads. But most have related to problems navigating the streets, rather than vehicle damage.
“I don’t think we have any claims in, specifically, that I’ve heard of.”
Sikora said he understands why drivers whose cars and trucks have been lurching over uneven surfaces might worry about the consequences.
Regardless, relief is at hand, with city plowing crews now moving from arterial and collector roads to residential areas.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com