Some roads are better maintained than others. If you live in a groomed suburb, you probably expect the roads that you drive to be smooth and clear of any bumps or divots. Yet if you live in the countryside, or in a poorly maintained part of town, then you may be subject to dangerous road conditions. These road dangers can include barriers, items in the road, potholes, ditches, bumps, and more. According to WAVY, potholes damage cars on a regular basis and sometimes they can facilitate serious accidents.

These potholes develop because of divots under the surface which eventually collapse leaving the asphalt to fall into the hole. They can create traffic hazards and damage a car’s suspension system. The potholes also tend to fill with water, which can hide any other hazards or make them somewhat invisible to see. Road maintenance crews will sometimes fill the potholes, but when conditions are particularly bad they may just repave the entire road instead. Icy weather can cause the potholes to develop under the surface or hot and dry weather can cause the streets to crack and fold in, developing potholes. Unless the roads are repaired, the condition of the roads will tend to deteriorate, facilitating more and more accidents.

One driver in Norfolk, Virginia told a local news station that he was driving along an interstate in the area when he noticed that there was a variety of potholes up ahead. This driver says that he was driving alongside another car. When he hit the pothole, it damaged his tire, causing him to run into the other vehicle. The driver had to pay about $1,200 in repairs after the accident. He says that he was irked because the entire accident could have been avoided if the city had taken pains to repair the road. This driver says he knows others who have been involved in accidents because of potholes on the same interstate.

Local Norfolk car repair shops say that they are constantly repairing rims and replacing tires because of the potholes and the damage that they cause. The potholes can also cause damage with the car alignments which can eventually tamper with the steering capabilities in the vehicle. Potholes develop over time, but extreme weather conditions such as rain and snow can cause the holes to sink deeper and become a larger hazard. In addition to potholes, earthquakes can cause gapping on roads, causing small ditches that can be a hazard if they are approached at high speeds. There are also times that weather conditions or natural disasters can cause the street to develop uneven levels. This can make it hard to navigate the roadway.

If you drive on dirt roads, rain can cause slipper mud of large puddles may have enough water to rise up and flood the engine if a car is idled. There are also times that a storm can cause the dirt to shift, revealing uneven surfaces or slippery hazards that can be very dangerous for drivers. In some cities, men and women are working hard to repair the road hazards that are causing tire damage and accidents on a frequent basis. In some major cities, when there is a serious problem they may be elected for a resurfacing program. If a street near your office or residency is a particular problem, you should contact your local government and report that road conditions. This may allow the street that concerns you to become a priority for the local street resurfacing system. If you were involved in a car accident because of potholes or other dangerous road conditions, then you need to contact a local car accident attorney. You will want to make sure that is clear in your car accident claim that road conditions facilitated the accident.