How Road Design and Maintenance May Affect Your Ride
When most motorists who don’t ride motorcycles think of motorcycle wrecks, they think of the high-profile issues that get a lot of media attention and not how other factors, such as road design and maintenance, play into the crashes. Events like the video that showed a group of riders going after a driver in a Range Rover back in 2013 get all the talk.
But there are a lot of lesser-known wrecks that happen every single day. Wrecks that occur not because of careless drivers, road rage, or the biker going way too fast. These wrecks have to do with the fact that sometimes roads aren’t designed with two wheels in mind. Let’s check in with the Car Crash Captain, and see what going on.
Road Features Unfit for Motorcycle Riders
Driving a car or truck, you don’t really notice a lot of issues with the roads like you do when you’re on two wheels. Features where other vehicles just drive right over, require a different strategy when riding a motorcycle.
Edge Breaks – When the area around the road isn’t built up (with sidewalks or retaining walls and the like), the road can drop off into gravel or dirt. These breaks can be hazardous to cars and trucks, but deadly to motorcycles.
Expansion Joints – You’ve noticed them in your driveway, but did you know they’re incorporated into roads too? These joints let the concrete expand and contract without cracking. Usually on bridges, they can “catch” a motorcycle tire without warning.
Bridge Joints – Like an expansion joint, a bridge joint actually joins two parts of a bridge. Found mostly in areas with lift bridges, or bridges with some moving components, these joints are similarly as dangerous as expansion joints.
Grooved Highways – To keep water flowing off the highway, some have grooves in them. Even in a car or truck you can feel the vehicle “pushed and pulled” on the road; it’s compounded with a motorcycle.
Hazards Bikers Need to be Aware of
Besides features intentionally built into the road, there can be other hazards that can necessitate evasive motorcycle maneuvers or risk a deadly crash.
Debris on the roads is common after storms. From downed branches, to patio furniture that blew out of a back yard, these things have to be avoided. Other vehicles can crunch right over with little, or no, damage – a motorcycle will wreck when striking them.
Leaves on the road are a little different. While debris can be expected after a storm, leaves show up in the fall. When wet, the leaves get nearly as slick as ice and can cause a motorcycle rider to lay down his or her bike.
Puddles pose another serious issue. There is often no way to tell how deep the puddle is. Even one that is shallow poses a hydroplaning risk.
Road Designs Motorcyclists Don’t Like
Often there are just designs that aren’t motorcycle friendly. Long straight stretches and winding roads aren’t the issue here, though.
Many roads don’t have proper signage. Whether that’s to help motorists slow down, recognize sharp turns, or even recognize that motorcycles do exist and to watch out for them. Studies have shown that signage helping motorcyclists and other motorists have reduced the number of collisions.
Blind corners pose a risk to bikers. Vehicles pulling out can’t see clearly, and it’s even harder to see a low-profile bike coming.
Road Maintenance that Affects Bikers
We expect our roads to be maintained properly. We all pay taxes that go toward keeping them updated and safe to travel upon.
Sometimes, however, they still fall into disrepair. Inconvenient for many, but deadly for bikers. Little issues like potholes and gravel sections mean most vehicles must slow down. Those on two wheels, however, will generally have to avoid the area. Even something as simple as where the lines are painted can pose a hazard – these painted areas become much slicker when wet than the rest of the pavement.
Herbert Law Group Helps Motorcycle Accident Victims in Texas
There are numerous factors that go into a motorcycle crash. If you have been injured in a motorcycle wreck, or you have a loved one that was killed, then you need an experience motorcycle accident lawyer to help navigate the tricky legal waters.
Let Herbert Law Group do the hard work, while you focus on healing. Call us at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll get started with a free conversation to see how we can help.