When the Road Causes Your Accident

The majority of car accidents involve other vehicles, and as a result it may be one or both drivers that are at fault for causing the accident. However, there are instances where a car accident is due to a faulty road, and other drivers may or may not share some responsibility. This article will discuss how to know when road issues may be the cause of car accidents.

There are a number of different road issues that may cause an accident. Some of these issues may include the following:

• Potholes
• Traffic cones
• Road construction
• Disintegrating bridges and roads
• Broken blocks of cement
• Failing to warn
• Failing to install traffic lights
• Obstructed road signs

It must be noted that the life expectancy of a road is about 20 years. But if this period of time is exceeded without sufficient repair work, problems arise. Issues arise due to constant use, weathering and other factors; therefore, roads tend to deteriorate as time goes by.

As a result, it becomes necessary for road construction and repair to take place.

Unfortunately, such construction and repair require funding and the process of obtaining such funding takes time in itself, as does the actual completion of such repairs. Funding allows roads to be smooth and drivable, cleared of debris and insure that bridges are solid and passable. However, when road repairs take long and poor conditions prevail this may lead to multiple accidents that cause injuries or death.

There are a number of dangers that lurk when road issues arise; and all these point to the cause of many vehicle accidents. Some common dangers that arise due to the disrepair of roads include the following:

• Unsound bridges – when bridges are not repaired, they pose a serious danger to groups of people. Once a bridge structure becomes unsound the bridge may either collapse completely, crushing whatever is under it or dropping whatever is on it. As a result, when a bridge becomes structurally deficient it requires immediate repair.
• Freeways and highways – these are the highest danger areas to all drivers because the presence of traffic itself is a potential danger, and due to the high speed limits. However, when these busy roads go into disrepair it increases accidents in frequency and scale. Common issues that are found on freeways and highways include potholes, crumbling edges, uneven lanes, drop offs onto shoulders and narrow shoulders. These issues may result in a driver losing control of their vehicle leading to a collision or multi-vehicle collision that can result in death or serious injury.

The above focuses on the need for repairs, however, another danger that arises is when road repairs begin. Road construction and repair are often the cause of accidents. This happens when drivers try to avoid construction and end up swerving into pedestrians, construction workers or into other vehicles. It is even possible that materials that are being used in the construction and repair of roads may cause a driver to lose their vision of the road. At times a warning sign may be placed incorrectly, closed lanes may lead to accidents and the decrease in speed limits affects only those who follow them. When drivers continue speeding where there is a need to decrease speed, slower drivers become a hazard.

If your accident was caused by a road hazard speak to car accident lawyers in Bakersfield, CA.