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No one expects to drive down the highway and have a metal road reflector crash into them. However, this was the case for two Virginia drivers on two separate occasions. If you or someone you know was injured by a metal road reflector, you may be eligible for compensation. Raised pavement markers are used as safety devices to help control traffic and decrease crash rates on highways. They are embedded into the road and are designed to stay there for 10 years. There are also plastic reflective lenses that go on top of them.
Drivers Struck by Raised Pavement Markers
Earlier this year a driver’s car was struck by a broken metal raised pavement marker (RPM) while traveling on I-495 in Virginia. The RPM crashed into the driver’s front windshield. Another driver ended up in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury after being struck in the head while driving I-81 in Virginia in 2010. Over the past five years, 90 complaints about metal road reflectors have been filed with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Attempts were made to ask the VDOT commissioner questions about safety concerns with metal road reflectors but no one would answer questions in person. However, VDOT later emailed the I-Team at Seven on Your Side to answer additional questions. According to a 2016 Massachusetts Department of Transportation study, only four states continued to actively use raised pavement makers, including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia.
Virginia Department of Transportation Installs Plastic Reflectors
The Virginia Department of Transportation installed its first set of plastic reflectors on I-295 in Richmond, although plastic reflectors have been available for three years. Plastic reflectors are smaller than metal reflectors and sit flat on the road. They include reflective tape and rumble strips. The installation of the plastic reflectors came almost two months after questions about metal RPM dangers were directed at VDOT, who claim that the reason they took so long to install the plastic reflectors was because of a two-year testing program that ended in March. In an email, VDOT stated that they were currently developing a migration strategy to move to the plastic marker system statewide. This migration will include all maintenance pavement work, which will begin in Spring 2020. The migration will occur over the next 10 to 15 years.
Virginia Beach Car Accident Lawyers Represent Clients Injured in Motor Vehicle Accidents
If you were injured in a car accident, a Virginia Beach car accident lawyer will fight to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. At East Coast Trial Lawyers, we will not stop advocating for your rights. For a free consultation, contact us online or call us at 757-352-2237 today. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we represent clients throughout Chesapeake, Eastern Shores, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, as well as North Carolina and nationwide.
