Beware of State Installed Parallel Tar Snakes

[STraymond]

While I am very grateful not to have been injured in my recent interstate crash on the way to FL-STOC, I would like to point out a dangerous road hazard: parallel tar strips installed to seal long patches of road repaired under lane markers on multilane highways. The tar is meant to seal the border between the existing old road surface and the new patch. The photo below shows this engineered condition.

Tar snakes of course become slippery when hot or wet, but generally can be handled safely by experienced riders. The real danger that caused my ST to go into a severe wobble, from which I could not recover, is the combination of wet slippery tar, regular pavement, and then more wet slippery tar and the front and rear wheels encountering these areas at different times. I was simply attempting to change lanes and so the wheels performed the slip, grab, and slip at different times and set up the wobble at 60 mph.

Try to avoid crossing this combination of tar snakes when there is a chance that they may be slippery!

Even though nothing may come of my efforts, I did write a letter to the Director of the Ohio Dept. of Transportation (the accident happened in OH) asking that these "engineered" road hazards be fixed.

 

[SMSW]

Not much chance of our dear state taking any action...beyond using even more tar.... You should see the roads in my community. After a few years there is more area of tar snakes than blacktop. This is called ongoing maintenance. Just don't use your brakes in the rain seems to be the message.

 

[maximark]

Thankfully you are ok. I know what you're talking about, but for states it's a matter of money- thou here in NYC/ NJ they charge same toll for bikes as for car and from our money they create hazards for us motorcyclists. FRUSTRATING!!!
But again- Thankfully you are ok.

Mark

 

[STraymond]

Not much chance of our dear state taking any action...beyond using even more tar.... You should see the roads in my community. After a few years there is more area of tar snakes than blacktop. This is called ongoing maintenance. Just don't use your brakes in the rain seems to be the message.

I know what you mean about the seeming overuse of the snakes. I understand that mixing course sand in with the tar can improve the wet-traction of the snakes.

 

[SMSW]

I know what you mean about the seeming overuse of the snakes. I understand that mixing course sand in with the tar can improve the wet-traction of the snakes.

Right - i've seen the local guys sprinkling the sand on top and it does wonders for a little while. But it seems to wear off and the snakes are slippery as wet steel after some months. The sand that is mixed in is probably to enhance durability - so called bituminous concrete. Regardless, they all seem to be slippery after a short while.

 

[DAS]

hate tar snakes. A few years ago I finally got to ride the Chief Joseph hwy in Wyoming but it must have been the day after the cracks were sealed and it was about 95 so had to take it really slow.[video=youtube;RAqGMNrwzBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAqGMNrwzBE[/video]

 

[BakerBoy]

DAS... yeah, I rode CJH then, as did others (at different times that same summer) and we each commented in some other thread here how slippery those were!

I saw some unusual measures being taken on repairing road cracks in the middle of Montana... they were covering the hot tar with a coarse grit, then were rolling a fabric paper over that, and pressing it all together while hot. I don't know if it was experimental, but it didn't give the slippery feeling of standard tar snakes.

 

[ArTravlR]

I am wondering if ABS and/or TCS would have made the circumstance manageable?

 

[STraymond]

I am wondering if ABS and/or TCS would have made the circumstance manageable?

In my get-off case brakes were not involved. Just an unhurried lane change in wet pavement conditions was enough for the wheels hitting the tar, no tar, tar at different times (because of the angle) to cause the severe wobble.

Ray

 

[gmtech94]

Sorry to hear of your get off ,I hope that you are okay and thanks for the warning about the tar snakes .

 

[STraymond]

Sorry to hear of your get off ,I hope that you are okay and thanks for the warning about the tar snakes .

Thanks for the well-wishes. My exit from the bike was definitely somewhat miraculous - low siding and sliding about 30 yards on my butt. Only gear damaged was a rash and hole on my Firstgear pants.

By the way, I sent a photo to Firstgear to show them how well the pants held up. Then, out of the blue, I got a text from them asking if I wanted to be sent a replacement pair under their crash warranty program. How sweet is that!??

Ray

 

[jonz]

DAS... yeah, I rode CJH then, as did others (at different times that same summer) and we each commented in some other thread here how slippery those were!

I rode Chief Joseph Highway this summer right after they finished repaving the best (curviest) part so at least those tar snakes are gone for awhile.

I saw some unusual measures being taken on repairing road cracks in the middle of Montana... they were covering the hot tar with a coarse grit, then were rolling a fabric paper over that, and pressing it all together while hot. I don't know if it was experimental, but it didn't give the slippery feeling of standard tar snakes.

I think the "fabric" was toilet paper. I live right off Hwy 20 by West Yellowstone and they did this "repair" summer before last. It seems to work as I've ridden over worse snakes. Hwy 12 in Utah comes to mind - I think they used tootsie rolls and it ruined the ride over what is reputed to be one of the best motorcycle roads.

I know there is a specification in California for the width and thickness of the tar snakes, or so I was told by a Caltrans worker. But I've hit slippery ones in CA as well.

 

[maximark]

Thanks for the well-wishes. My exit from the bike was definitely somewhat miraculous - low siding and sliding about 30 yards on my butt. Only gear damaged was a rash and hole on my Firstgear pants.

By the way, I sent a photo to Firstgear to show them how well the pants held up. Then, out of the blue, I got a text from them asking if I wanted to be sent a replacement pair under their crash warranty program. How sweet is that!??

Ray

That's good to know that company stands behind its products, best advertisement.

Mark

 

[gmtech94]

Glad you are okay ,that is quite a good thing that first gear did for you .

 

[jjoyce2]

Part of the problem is that highway construction and maintenance are not designed with motorcycles in mind. Highways are designed to accommodate vehicles commonly found on them like trucks and cars, but motorcycle needs are not part of the considerations. If they were, there would never be train rails at oblique angles, slick highway markings, parallel tar snakes, or edge traps when they replace pavement. They wouldn't permit these conditions if they disrupted cars the way they do bikes.

And yet, we pay registration fees often intended to fund our roads just like cars and trucks . . .

 

[STraymond]

And don't you just love it when you see those permanent signs that say "Motorcycles Use Extreme Caution"?? Maybe they could have spent the sign money on actually improving the road!

 

[jjoyce2]

True that, brother.

 

[TourNut]

My accident when my ChatterBox brand alarm system completely shut off my ignition , traveling I-80 in Iowa , was made much worse when I hit extremely deep rumble strips cut on the side of the road that caught my wheels at an angle , crossed up the bike and pitched me off the road. There is no necessity for them to be that deep , other states only make them about a half inch deep which still works for the intended purpose.

 

[TOS]

Good to hear that your OK Raymond. How did the Bike fair it?

A local 4 lane hwy here, has cracks between the lanes in places (no tar patch yet) large enough for my Wee tire to fit into. Have to be careful where and how I change lanes. I think this could be even more dangerous for motorcyles, than dry snakes anyway.

CJH in July, had a large portion on east end resurfaced. Much better than it was in 2012 at 92-94*.

 

[SMSW]

And don't you just love it when you see those permanent signs that say "Motorcycles Use Extreme Caution"?? Maybe they could have spent the sign money on actually improving the road!

Sad truth is signs are cheaper, require less thought, and are quick and easy.