It would be interesting to compare Aussie roads to the USA- to see what each person constitutes as "unacceptable". I'm not saying Australia is worse, but to get a perspective of how each country's road are.
Where I live they have manhole covers laid directly where your RHS wheels hit them, and they're usually far from level with the bitumen surface. Then there's the roughness of the road surfaces- from both soil movement or simply poor road construction. It's common to hear of people destroying alloy rims from hitting potholes with low profile tyres. Some of the country roads are so bumpy and poorly maintained. At least we generally don't have the extreme cold temps, only the searing heat (nothing better than melted bitumen flicked up on the paint work!)
Falling apart right before my eyes....
Like I said in point #3, road conditions can vary wildly from state to state, and sometimes different regions within the same state. Even with the federally funded interstate system, you can notice a difference in surface quality simply by crossing state lines. I live in Texas where the roads are generally pretty good, but if you cross over into Louisiana (using the same interstate highway) you have to be prepared to give your suspension/tires a workout..murcod wrote:It would be interesting to compare Aussie roads to the USA- to see what each person constitutes as "unacceptable". I'm not saying Australia is worse, but to get a perspective of how each country's road are.
Where I live they have manhole covers laid directly where your RHS wheels hit them, and they're usually far from level with the bitumen surface. Then there's the roughness of the road surfaces- from both soil movement or simply poor road construction. It's common to hear of people destroying alloy rims from hitting potholes with low profile tyres. Some of the country roads are so bumpy and poorly maintained. At least we generally don't have the extreme cold temps, only the searing heat (nothing better than melted bitumen flicked up on the paint work!)
While you bring some very valid points, my gripes have mostly to do with inner-city roads such as the streets within the city of Washington, DC. I have also lived in Southern California for several years where the freeways and highways are what I commonly drove on. The quality of highways and freeways (no matter where you are in the US) is quite different from inner-city roads. If you live in Texas and aren't in a major city, then the roads would be better but factors like large trucks would apply. However, in a place like Washington, DC, there are far fewer excuses other than the city contracting the lowest bidder who is going to do the lowest quality job. In this regard, comparisons to other nations is quite applicable. Heck, DC is tiny compared to most Japanese cities yet the roads in Japan are in better shape.Pyramid1 wrote: There are many different reasons for this..
1. No country on earth has as many miles of paved interstate, highway, FM/county roads, city streets etc..as we do and it can be a nightmare to pay for and maintain.
2. Our modern infrastructure is older than other countries.
3. There is no standard for paving roads across the country...you can find a wide variety of methods, materials and equipment used not only between states, but also variances within a single state.
4. (and this is a biggie) I don't know of any other country that ships as much by large trucks as we do....the constant pounding of big rigs do a massive amount of damage every single day.
5. The climate is not as consistent as many smaller countries, dealing with the effects of searing heat in the summer and then a few months later sub-freezing temps and moisture can wreak havoc on a paved road.
I'm not making excuses for poor road surfaces in some parts of the country, just giving reasons why doing an apples to apples comparison might be difficult..
Another factor that is proof about quality being a choice by the authorities is the condition of toll roads in America. If you ever drive on a toll road in the States, you will notice that they are so much better than regular highways and freeways. They are better maintained and the quality of the pavement is higher. Roads are smooth and even. This is obviously because the toll administration is using the money from the toll fees for road maintenance.
However, I will admit that we Americans have some of the lowest vehicle operating costs in the comparable world. Gas in the US is about half of what the Japanese pay. Higher taxes and operating costs that are imposed on the drivers in foreign countries go to building and maintaining better roads. We Americans got it cheap but the trade-off is crappier roads.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
