Road Snakes

[SilvrT]

I wonder if anyone, anywhere has done anything about getting a ban on these things or lobbying to change how they do this. Recent readings in here as well as my own experience ... it's obvious that these things, especially in corners, are a "clear and present danger" to bikers all over.

[loehring]

I don't think you're going to change the process. They're an inexpensive way to repair the roads in between repaving. They're the worst during the summer when they get really hot. The tar seems to melt a little and they are very unstable. When I see them I just treat it the same as I would a rainy day. The bike seems to react the same way as it would crossing wet road paint. That's another thing that poses a danger that will probably never change.

[BoomerCPO]

Frost heave of the roads is one of my biggest complaints.....Vermont has the worst I have ever seen in the entire NE Region.

 

Chip seal runs a hot 2nd Place for "clear and present danger" as well.

 

Boomer......who knows if all things posing a threat to bikers was removed from the roads we would own the roads to ourselves.....and most Road Engineers should be tarred/feathered and hung from Red Lights.

[mini-muffin]

We have a section on hwy 17 between Windsor and Williamston (southbound lanes) that had lots of that stuff down. Seems like they just went crazy with the stuff. No avoiding it at all, even the car doesn't like that road. I wish they wouldn't use it.

 

Margaret

[BuddyRich]

Tar Snakes are used to keep the road from getting potholes in it. Asphalt is basically whats left over from refining oil, add some rock and you have today's roads. When the asphalt cracks water can get underneath softening the compacted base under it. That creates the pothole. Tar bonds very well to the asphalt and seals the crack . Don't think they will stop using it till they make the roads outta something else

[SilvrT]

I haven't heard of any bike accidents caused by road snakes but, just like a lot of other things, they'll prolly not do anything until there's been a number of deaths as a direct result.

[LilBeaver]

I'll take road snakes over the fricken 'chip seal' which where I live is equivalent to literally dumping gravel on the paved road during the summer months and let the cars mat it down...

 

But, on topic; I do not know of anyone lobbying for these to be banned as like loehring said, it is an extremely cheap and effective way to deal with the cracks in the road (that actually help avoid creating a pothole problem - which I think we all can agree is much worse than the road snakes).

 

I do remember the first time I hit a road snake on a hot summer day... I was gettin on the expressway, really pleased with the speed of which I was clearing the ramp... Saw that bad boy run diagonally across the way I was headed so i was going to hit it at around a 20 deg angle. I stayed upright, but the front end slid as I headed over [the snake]... Lets just say that one puckered me up! That was the first time I'd ever felt the front end feel like it was going to slide out from under me (granted it only lasted for a fraction of a second)...

 

Now I know that people weren't kidding about looking out for those dumb things.

[SilvrT]

I'll take road snakes over the fricken 'chip seal' which where I live is equivalent to literally dumping gravel on the paved road during the summer months and let the cars mat it down...

 

They do that up here too although I haven't seen that practise for several years. I got caught right in the middle of that one time when I had my '83 Wing. Dust and rocks flying everywhere...we basically had to pull over and let all the cars go by (it was limited to one-way traffic with a pilot vehicle) before we could proceed. Very difficult to manoeuver as it was all fresh.

[CrazyHorse]

I wonder if they embedded sand in the mix if it would help.

[saddlebum]

Here in Ontario they go crazy with the stuff sometimes there are more road snake then asphalt. I find them the worst when you get a sudden rain after several hot days.

[Sailor]

Tar snakes are dangerous winter or summer. I have seen the crew here putting sand on top of the snake while it is hot. Problem is the sand only seems to last until a few cars have gone over it. When it is hot the sand disappears into the tar. On the deck of the ships we used walnut shell mixed into the paint to make a non skid deck. Doubt that would hold up to traffic though. I have even had cars and trucks slide on those things. Warning signs in particularly bad areas might help.