What To Do During an Earthquake on The Road and The Dangerous Impacts

An earthquake is not a simple disaster since the impacts are hazardous. This event occurs for a few seconds, but the impact may destroy a large area. An earthquake on the road is not an exception because people who are on the trip should stop their vehicle because the impacts from the shaking can be dangerous and lead to collisions.

For people who live in the region where earthquakes may occur from time to time, it is very crucial to understand the impacts of earthquakes that can happen to the road. It increases the safety level, so they can save themselves when this disaster occurs. Read the list of impacts that an earthquake causes.

The Impacts of Earthquakes on The Road

Losing Control

The magnitude of the earthquake determines how severe the destruction will be. It becomes a huge issue for the driver when the shaking arrives suddenly. It is hard for them to control the steering, yet they have to make the vehicle stop. It is the most challenging part to avoid losing control.

When shaking occurs, drivers also cannot brake suddenly to stop the vehicles. It may end up losing control over it, so collisions can happen, especially on a crowded road. This is why it becomes the biggest and most dangerous impact of an earthquake on the road.

Infrastructure Damage

The damage caused by the earthquake has different levels, depending on the magnitude of the earthquake. It causes serious damage to the road and other public facilities on the road, such as tunnels and bridges. They usually collapse because of the shaking.

Further checking may be needed to make sure they are safe to pass. Bridges are commonly affected after an earthquake. Meanwhile, the collapsed tunnel will block the road, making it hard for people and the rescue team may be hard to reach. It is the impact that should be well-calculated.

Falling Objects

This is a dangerous case that could happen during an earthquake. On the roads, there are many signs that can be affected because of the shaking. The cars and other vehicles that stop near the signs might get the fallen signs. It causes serious injuries to people.

Other falling objects that can happen during and after the earthquake are trees and buildings. Collapsed objects also block the road, so it is harder for the drivers to pass and avoid the area quickly. Sometimes, it is very unpredictable that nobody expects they to collapse.

Ground Ruptures

Earthquake on the road are scary because some cases cause sinkholes in the middle of the road. That is no longer a simple crack. When the vehicles pass by, they fall into the sinkhole, and they are quite deep. It is a serious accident where most people are dead because of the impact.

They trigger a landslide that can make the vehicles go to the lower side. Some cases of earthquakes can cause uplift, which causes the vehicles to lose their balance. Worse, collisions on the road are inevitable.

Traffic Jams

Because of an earthquake, traffic jams are the aftermath of the incident. People cannot do many things due to this event. When the road gets blocked because of fallen objects and ground ruptures, people cannot continue their trip to their destination.

This incident should be a concern for the government. They should act very fast to unblock the road and fix the issues following the earthquake. The drivers will also get panicked easily because they want to avoid the incident, so they may drive in an unpredictable manner, which causes danger.