With summer slowly sinking into the background and winter rearing its head, we can expect the weather to worsen and the temperatures to plummet as the frost sets in. 

 

It isn’t just us who will feel the effects of the cooler weather though and our roads will likely suffer at the hands of the cold too. 

 

Winter brings rain and ice and when water seeps into cracks into the roads and freezes, cracks can worsen due to water expanding as it turns into ice. This means that over the course of the winter, existing cracks and potholes can grow and become larger and more dangerous. 

 

Cracks and holes in our roads and pavements can cause them to degrade over time. Failing to fix these cracks can lead to them turning into larger potholes which can pose a danger to road users and pedestrians. 

 

Slippery roads are far more dangerous, as well. Snow and ice reduce friction and therefore vehicles must travel at much slower speeds in order to remain safe. 

 

This can lead to many more road traffic collisions as drivers have reduced control over their vehicles and traffic builds up, also presenting a higher risk of accidents.

 

Potholes and cracks that require mending are often left as there is simply no way to close roads down in order to fix them. Often these repairs are done overnight but there is still not enough time for the repairs to settle and cure,, so damage will reappear in the same location time and time again. 

 

Salting roads can help prevent ice from forming as it lowers the freezing point of water, so roads are less slippery to use. This also helps prevent ice from expanding cracks. 

 

Road surfacing companies often require large areas and more time in order to do their job properly and it is hard to accommodate this on busy, main roads without careful planning and scheduling, which means some roads may go years without repair and deteriorate further.

 

However, salt isn’t a superhero fix. Salt can be damaging to vehicles on the road, chipping at paintwork and corroding the bodies of vehicles, as well as corroding the road itself. Salt corrosion is a huge issue during winter and it seems that you cannot fix one problem without causing another. 

 

Salt can also cause environmental issues, as it can seep into the groundwater and earth around roads. Once salt enters the soil and water, it is near impossible to remove and thus presents an environmental hazard that can harm plants and wildlife. 

 

This increases over time as well, so each year that passes introduces more unremovable salt into the environment, which is detrimental to the wildlife around us. 

 

 

Winter weather causes more damage than we are aware of to our roads and pavements and a lot of it is invisible. Being vigilant and aware when using roads in the colder months can help improve your safety and the safety of other road users as well.