Road texture acts as a major factor in determining when a road needs to be resurfaced. Considering that road work can prove expensive for the state, requires scheduling maintenance crews, and leads to shutting down lanes and creating detours, measuring closely when a road does a markedly noticeable amount of harm to a vehicle is an important duty of a transportation authority. However, some state or municipal organizations may allow the texture of their roads to deteriorate each year, until problems such as potholes become widespread.

The most ideal texture on a road is to be almost flat, but with a slight amount of variation to build friction. Texture is measured according to the distance between the highest point, or crest, and the lowest point, or trough, in a strip of roadway. The best roads fit in somewhere between no different and 0.5 mm, a range that is otherwise described as microtexture. Although this degree of smoothness is extremely difficult to maintain for any length of time, it creates the least amount of stress on the vehicle while providing a decent amount of friction.

More likely, for a decently kept road, is a degree of texture known as macrotexture. This amount of texture ranges between 0.5 mm and 50 mm between crests and troughs. At the lower end of the spectrum, the road remains smooth, provides friction, and a peculiar benefit to sound management. The bumps in the road actually swallow some of the sound of the road, reducing the overall noise of the highway.

At the highest levels, which are considered anything over 50 mm, roads can wear on tires as well as lower fuel efficiency. As bumps in the road cause vehicles to work harder to go forward, more fuel is consumed by the engine. Known as megatexture, these roads may be prone to develop additional defects if wear continues to create unfavorable surfaces.

For more information regarding your rights as a motorist and how negligent municipalities can play a role in serious injuries, contact the Rhinelander car accident attorneys of Habush, Habush & Rottier, S.C., today.