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Saskatoon service garage manager says ruts can wreak 'havoc' on vehicles

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The service manager at a local repair garage says he sees firsthand how ruts on snowy streets can wreak "havoc" on vehicles.

“Sometimes if they're deep enough, you can damage your oil pan and that opens up a whole range of issues," Garth Lardner at Sargent’s Auto Service told CTV News.

Ruts are generally found on residential streets where snow has piled up and then is packed down by people driving in the same wheel paths.

Lardner says they can cause premature wear on shock absorbers and struts while throwing off tire balance.

“Sometimes you can lose weights off your tires, all of a sudden when you're going at a higher speed, like highway speeds, you can feel a vibration that wasn't there before,” he said.

“It can certainly cause issues with steering components like ball joints … so now it's affecting your steering, but it's also affecting how your tires are reacting to the road.”

Data from SGI shows from Nov. 28 to December 27 there were 24 claims in Saskatoon that included, but weren’t limited to, damage from ice ruts on the ground, and that number increased to 89 claims from Dec. 28 to Jan. 27.

“We have seen a bit of an increase in the past few weeks on the type of collisions that typically result from a car running over ruts,” said SGI media relations manager Tyler McMurchy.

“It's not necessarily the hugest source of concern, I would say generally in winter we do see an uptick in collisions overall due to slippery conditions,” said McMurchy.

In a statement, the City of Saskatoon's director of roadways Goran Saric said the city regularly measures the snowpack on several streets to determine the average depth and monitor the risk for serious rutting.

“Currently, the average is 8-10 centimetres. If the average reaches 15 and as spring melting starts, we will initiate a city-wide rut grading program,” said Saric.

“This is when there is the greatest risk for deep ruts with daytime temperatures that soften snow and overnight freezing temperatures that freeze wheel paths into hard ruts."

Saric says the city will hold off on clearing out ruts until the temperatures warm up, as it takes more effort to blade the hard-packed frozen snow.

However, he said ruts of particular concern can be reported to the city's customer care centre.

“If there is a street with severe rutting that is a risk for causing damage to a vehicle or property, please report the location,” Saric said.

McMurchy says slowing down, and paying attention to what kind of surfaces you’re are driving on will put you in a better position to avoid damage from ruts, while Lardner has two tips of his own including checking tire pressure.

”Your tire pressure should be what it says on the inside pillar of your driver side door. Don't use the tire pressure on the actual tire itself—that tire pressure is meant for guideline of maximum load,” he said.

“Make sure also that you don't have snow and mud build-up in your wheels, because that can also cause a vibration because it throws everything out of balance.”

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