Winter driving can be some of the most dangerous. Inclement weather creates many hazards for drivers, including limited visibility, fluctuating tire pressure, and slippery roads. One of the most obnoxious and damaging cold weather problems is the creation of potholes. Continue reading to learn more about potholes and safely navigating winter roads. Be extra careful this and every winter. Eliminate distractions and slow down to accommodate slippery roads and limited visibility. If the roads are too treacherous to risk, don’t! If you or a loved one has been injured in a bad weather accident, contact a Denver car accident lawyer to discuss your case.
Everyone has felt the jolt of an unexpected pothole or swerved to avoid one on a road in disrepair. Hitting a large enough pothole at a fast enough speed can be dangerous. It can cause tire blow outs, other expensive damage to a car, and loss of control. Winter weather and fluctuating temperatures causes and contributes to dangerous road conditions like expanding potholes. When snow and other precipitation falls during the winter months, it wreaks havoc on roads. The water burrows deep into the road through cracks in the pavement. When temperatures drop, the water freezes, turning to ice and expanding underneath the pavement. This forces the pavement up. Repeated exposure to the weight of traffic along with temperatures that rise above freezing then cause the pavement to break and “a shallow divot [to form]… under the surface.” Thus, a pothole is created, and it continues to expand with repeated freezing and thawing cycles and wear and tear from traffic.
It’s important for your safety and the maintenance of your vehicle to drive carefully over and around potholes. Take extra care this pothole season to make the road a safer place. Adjust for road conditions by leaving more space between you and the car in front of you. A wider margin gives you extra reaction time; time you can use to see a pothole and safely maneuver around it or slow down to go over it. Driving slower over all will also give you more time to react to roads in disrepair, and usually means less damage to your car when you do drive over a pothole. Finally, potholes can fill with water after a storm and be difficult to spot or adequately gauge. Avoid them whenever possible, they could be deceptively deep or large and cause serious damage.
If you’ve been in a serious accident and have suffered injury due to another driver’s negligence, contact a traffic lawyer to discuss your case. Jeremy Rosenthal has over a decade of experience and success fighting for his personal injury clients. He’s ready to diligently represent you through every step of the civil litigation process. Call 303 825-2223 today to schedule your consultation.
