In Sandy, Utah, professional asphalt repair is a common service offered by different companies. It is so common that we often ignore its importance and impact on our daily lives. Road repair plays a crucial role in ensuring our safety when we travel because road conditions are the second most common factor that leads to car crashes, according to a study conducted by Niranga Amarasingha and Sunanda Dissanayake in Kansas.
Here are some road problems that usually cause road mishaps:
Potholes
A pothole is a bowl-shaped pit on the road. Some are shallow while others are deep. Either way, they pose danger to drivers and their passengers. Potholes are caused by the weathering of the roads. The frequent use of a road wears away the top layer, which exposes the base. This is aggravated by rain, which is why some potholes can be wide or deep.
If you are driving fast and you did not notice a pothole, it can cause you to lose control of your car, particularly because you and your vehicle are not prepared for the impact. The impact of running over a pothole is similar to a 35-mph car accident. If you are a motorcycle driver, it’s even more dangerous because you may lose your balance. If you see a pothole just in time and try to avoid it, you are at risk of crashing into another car if you are driving on a busy street.
Road Design
Several factors come into play when we talk about road design. It includes the surface type, the surface condition, and the character. The common surface types are concrete, asphalt, and gravel. According to the same study mentioned above, asphalt surface, when not installed properly, causes the most number of road crashes. This is probably because it’s hard to see the road clearly at night. That is why proper markings are necessary.
The road surface condition refers to it being dry, wet, or with debris. Surprisingly, according to the same study, dry surface causes more accidents than a wet one. This could be because motorists are more careful when driving on wet pavement. Roads with debris come in second.
The road character is whether it’s straight and level, straight and not level, or curved. Straight and level roads caused the most accidents than the other two. The reason is not mentioned, but it could be attributed to the lax attitude when driving on the straight and leveled highway. Curved roads come in second followed by the straight but unleveled road surface.
Other factors about the design that are not mentioned are banking and roadside landscape. Correct banking is necessary for curves because when going around the bend, the centripetal force causes the vehicle to incline towards the inside of a turn. If a road is not banked properly, the angle is not enough and a speeding car can run off the road. Roadside landscape, on the other hand, can obstruct a driver’s view, which can also lead to crashes.
This guide tells us that road safety is not only about a driver’s skill and presence of mind. Other factors, such as road design, also play a role. That said, it’s important for everyone to make sure the roads are properly designed and maintained. Only experts should be allowed to work on it.
