Road maintenance is crucial for vehicle safety in that it ensures that roads are safe for vehicles to drive on, before flaws cause major issues for motorists. If a road is not properly maintained and initial problems are allowed to degrade to the point of becoming serious, then cars are more likely to wreck, run off the road, or crash into each other. Problems with the structural integrity of a road lead directly to safety issues for drivers. Proper road maintenance prevents these issues because it allows for road materials to be replaced before, or right when, they begin to wear out, rather than well after the fact. A road that is poorly maintained may technically be driveable, but if certain standards aren’t met, safety issues are bound to be experienced
Poor road maintenance can cause hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning is what happens when a driver loses control on a segment of road because the road is wet, allowing the tires to become separated from the road. While most drivers who experiencing hydroplaning are able to recover their tire grip and regain control of their vehicle, sometimes hydroplaning can cause a serious accident. Roads that are not properly maintained are more likely to collect water, especially if the road surfaces have become severely damaged or worn down. Also, water might not have anywhere to go if the shoulders and vegetation surrounding roads are not properly cared for, either.
Potholes can grow quickly and cause serious damage to vehicles that hit them as well as lead to car accidents due to drivers swerving to avoid them.
If a pothole is allowed to grow to the point of becoming scary for drivers to approach or consider driving over, then it has grown far too large to be considered properly maintained. Drivers are likely to swerve into the other lane of traffic to avoid a huge pothole, and this can cause serious accidents or even death. Drivers who go ahead and hit a huge pothole may also experience major damage to their vehicle, especially if traveling at a high speed when driving over the large pothole.
Neglecting road maintenance can cost more in the long run than investing in preventive road maintenance on the front end.
Roads that are used frequently must be maintained on a regular basis in order to avoid developing serious and costly problems. While it may seem safer to wait to spend money when you have to rather than spending money when “nothing appears to be wrong” with a road surface, you’ll likely find that preventive maintenance costs far less in the long run than the direct and indirect costs of allowing initial issues to develop into severe problems requiring overhaul and intervention.
Proper road maintenance keeps minor issues from becoming big problems.
Unpaved road maintenance should include grass cutting, culvert cleaning, ditch cleaning, re-graveling, and grading. Paved road maintenance should include pothole repair, crack sealing, and repairing paved edges.
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