Most Common Types of Road Debris To Watch Out For
The roads are fraught with danger. From the biggest accidents to things that cause the smallest nicks in paint jobs, there’s a lot you need to keep in mind when you’re driving. Unfortunately, we all have a habit of zoning out and not fully focusing on the road ahead of us. There are plenty of things you can come across on the road that you need to be ready for. We’ll go over a few of the most common types of road debris, both for new drivers to be aware of and as a refresher for some of us who may have gotten a little complacent over our many years of driving.
Construction Debris
No one likes dealing with construction when they drive somewhere. Whether you need to dodge a fallen traffic cone or need to be careful driving over rocks and gravel, you’ll run into a lot of construction debris the more you drive. If you go through a lot of it, regularly check on the underside of your vehicle and consider getting something such as a paint protection film to prevent debris damaging your paint.
Broken Car Parts
It seems odd that people wouldn’t realize when something falls off their vehicle while they’re driving, but it happens more often than you might think. There are lots of little pieces that can fall off a car without the driver noticing. These pieces of debris are no joke, they can do serious damage if you don’t move out of their way.
Foliage
Some of the most common road debris you’ll find is natural foliage. Heavy winds, downpours, snow accumulation can all snap branches into the road or even fell entire trees. Your car’s underside is fragile compared to the exterior, so don’t underestimate how much damage a wayward branch can do.
Paper and Plastic Trash
While paper and plastic trash doesn’t seem like a huge deal when you’re in a car, they can make things difficult if they end up in the wrong place. Paper and plastic products can get sucked up into the internal components of your vehicle and cause havoc. Even worse, they could potentially cover your windshield at an inopportune moment. Always be on the lookout for these trash items.
Glass Pieces
You might think that your vehicle is heavy enough to crush broken glass it comes across, but glass shards regularly destroy the tires of tons of different vehicles. If you can spot broken glass on the road ahead of you, avoid it, even if it means going out of your way. The last thing you want is an unexpected flat tire.
