Thousands of car accidents are reported across the country annually. Safety on the road is a factor of many things including driver keenness, vehicle performance, environmental conditions and driver’s knowledge of the terrain. Nevertheless, the design of the road can have massive impact on the likelihood of an accident happening. In other words, government agencies (for instance Bureau of Highways) tasked with road design, construction and maintenance have a part to play in road safety. Below are a few ways in which this takes place.
Barriers and Guard Rails
Most roads in the urban areas of the United States have barriers and guardrails to divide the high-speed traffic. That way, serious head on collisions are prevented. However, instances of poorly installed or maintained barriers and guardrails can occur. Such installations put motorists at risk.
Road Signs – Wrongly Placed or Missing
Drivers are likely to make mistakes when on an unfamiliar road. Fortunately, there are traffic signs to give the crucial information needed for stopping, speeding limits, junctions and so forth. When signs are inexistent, drivers can cause accidents. Consider a situation where a sign for a bend is missing- the driver may plough through a barrier and fall over a cliff. The same case applies for wrongly placed road signs. Car accident attorney Glen Burnie may have to deal with a situation where the driver got confusing signage and caused an accident.
Unpredictable Road Surface Change
As you drive along the highway, you may have abruptly landed on a rough patch of road from a normal one and got a surprise of a lifetime. It is true that road surfaces can be of different materials to cater for bridges, underpasses, freeways and so forth. However, unannounced changes to the surface can disorient the driver.
Summary of Other Road Issues
The road can have numerous design-related hazards. To add on the ones already mentioned, here are others that may lead to an accident and prompt a legal process:
• Traffic lights giving misleading information
• Poorly lit road
• Inadequate divider and shoulder
• Construction projects with poor or missing markings
• Uneven or potholed sections
• Vegetation so overgrown that it blocks road signs
• Objects placed on the highway
Car Accident Attorney Input
If you have been involved in a car accident, which you believe was out of poor road design or anything related, then you could call a car accident attorney Glen Burnie for help. Such an expert will first help you understand the different rights, and then give you the legal options for pursuance of the matter. What you must remember is that every road design is special. The location where the accident happened is also a matter to consider. For instance, the entity you sue for an accident on a county road is different from the one that you sue for a national highway. Note also that you can sue several parties.
The best thing is to contact an attorney immediately you or loved ones are involved in an accident. For an accident that is likely out of road design defects, you want to act even swifter. Successful files will see you get compensation for any physical or emotional pain, and financial losses incurred as a result.
