Some highways in Virginia have become more dangerous due to equipment designed to make them safer. Metal road reflectors are coming loose and striking drivers’ windshields.
These raised pavement markers, or RPMs, are expected to remain embedded for 10 years. The reflectors are intended to help keep drivers in their lanes during times of low visibility and severe weather.
In the past five years, 90 complaints related to metal RPMs have been filed with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). This indicates that loose reflectors pose a serious safety hazard. If a metal marker hit a vehicle’s windshield, it could cause the driver to lose control and crash.
The Purpose of Metal Reflectors
The pavement markers are H-shaped pieces of cast iron embedded in the roadway with an adhesive. A plastic reflector is placed over the metal frame and increases the visibility of the road and helps drivers stay in their lanes at night and in bad weather.
They are meant to last for a decade, but changing road conditions can reduce this time considerably.
Why Are Reflectors Falling Off So Frequently?
Changes in temperature from extreme cold to extreme heat, condensation, and expansion, combined with vibrations in the road can cause the adhesive anchoring these markers to the pavement to weaken and the metal marker frame to come loose.
Large trucks can kick the metal reflectors up into the air, turning them into dangerous projectiles that can cause severe harm or fatal injury accidents.
What Problems Could This Cause?
These devices can weigh over five pounds and can pose severe hazards to vehicles on the highway, according to a WJLA report. Some drivers in Virginia have had their windshields hit by these markers.
At high speeds, such a situation could be deadly. The metal device can punch through the windshield and injure the head of the passenger or driver, causing brain trauma. Alternatively, it could force the driver to swerve and crash into another car or a guardrail or off the road.
Virginia is one of only four states that still use these metal reflectors, according to WJLA. Plastic reflectors are available that weigh much less and pose less of a risk. VDOT plans to replace all metal reflectors, but it will take 10-15 years, as the work will be done along with other road improvements.
Who Is Liable for Damage and Crashes Caused by Loose Reflectors?
It is the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation to inspect all of the 700,000 state’s road markers and ensure their safety. These heavy iron reflectors have already caused accidents in Virginia and continue to pose a danger to motorists.
If you have been injured by a defective road marker, it may be possible to bring a claim against VDOT or others who were responsible for the problematic devices.
Contact Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C.
If you have been in an accident because of a loose pavement marker or anything else that was not your fault, please contact us right away. Proving government liability can be legally complex, but our attorneys can determine who is responsible and seek the compensation you are owed.
Call the Virginia Beach car accident lawyers of Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C. today for a free case evaluation.