 You probably never imagined how many lives could be saved by simple pavement renewal efforts. In October, 2014 the Federal Highways Administration and U.S Department of Transportation released the results of a 10-year study on fatal car crashing in the United States. A gut wrenching 371,104 fatal crashes occurred in the U.S from 2000-2009. (FHWA, 2014) The report identifies 12.6% of these fatal accidents occurred on wet pavement. The FHWA then asserts a shocking recognition; 70% of these fatal accidents could have been prevented or minimized by simply improving pavement surface friction. That’s 32,730 lives that could have been saved by inexpensive and easily identifiable pavement rehabilitation efforts.
The most commonly deferred roads are those that display only surface distresses, such as raveling (loose pavement material on the surface) or bleeding (excess asphalt binder on the pavement surface). Although these distresses do not reflect an imminent failure of the pavement base, they do reduce tire traction and increase the possibility of a vehicle skidding. Thankfully there are some easily implemented solutions that can alleviate these concerns and make your roads a safer place to drive.
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