Sentence:  When passing little breaks in the road, caused by water running off and carrying the road material with it, the shock of striking the edges is rather severe on tires and may be lessened by releasing the clutch for the moment and allowing the car to coast, always taking " <WSD>waterbreaks</WSD> " and similar rough spots straight on, so as not to strain the car unnecessarily. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A pothole or similar break in a road's surface caused by rainwater washing away the surface of the road.