Those 'Squiggly Black Lines' On The Road Are Called Tar Snakes - Here's What They Mean

Major highways and side streets are created with materials like asphalt and tar, allowing motorists a safe means of passage from one place to another. Unfortunately, much like other man-made paths from the long and winding history behind roads and highways, paved roads aren't perfect. Due to the sheer volume of traffic seen on a daily basis, changing seasons, and more, they can crack and crumble over time. Thus, road crews are sent in to repair these damages efficiently.

These repairs aren't always seamless, as evidenced by the existence of road snakes. Also known as tar snakes, these are often seen as one or more black, squiggly lines that can pop up everywhere from roads and parking lots to residential driveways. Tar snakes are made with an asphalt sealer that is poured into cracks and crevices to make the surface as close to its once-smooth self as possible. It's a relatively quick and easy solution compared to resurfacing, which requires removing the old material, adding fresh material, and all the while blocking off of roadways for extended periods.

If you've spent much time on the road, odds are you've spotted your share of tar snakes. Still, you might be wondering, how safe is it to drive on them? Here's what you should know as a motorist.

As mentioned, tar snakes are all about making roads safer. They prevent smaller yet noticeable cracks from growing into even bigger issues for drivers. Over time, cracks can form into potholes, create exposures in the asphalt supports, or worse. At the same time, while tar snakes are great prevention of pothole-induced popped tires or a complete loss of traction, they aren't entirely safe to drive on with every vehicle. For those in cars and trucks, tar snakes aren't much of a threat, but motorcyclists should be mindful of any on the road.

On a smaller, two-wheeled form of transportation, which also leaves the driver more exposed, safety is everything. Therefore, avoiding tar snakes under specific conditions is a wise move. It's not uncommon on hot days for them to soften, allowing objects to get stuck within and harm your tires. Alternatively, on especially wet or rainy days, tar snakes can become a bit slicker than the surrounding asphalt. As a result, you could momentarily lose control.

Even though taking a motorcycle safety course is a good idea, the road is an unpredictable place. Dangers can present themselves where you least expect it. While motorcycle riders should exercise caution when driving over tar snakes, the responsibility isn't entirely on them. It's also on those applying them to do it right, mitigating the dangers of riding.

From an outside perspective, filling in road cracks with tar doesn't seem like a difficult task. In truth, it requires specialists to do it right, or else it becomes a serious danger to motorcycle riders. Speaking to WISH-TV in 2017, Indiana Department of Transportation spokesperson Harry Maginity explained that poor application is what makes tar snakes so concerning. "We have to get the application right. We have to put it down at the right temperature, with the right application, don't over apply it, because that's what's happening here," he said, going on to outline INDOT's safeguards against misuse.

Maginity clarified that not just anyone is pouring tar into road cracks. The folks responsible for doing so are put through training, reducing the likelihood that it will be applied incorrectly and become a hazard. However, that's not all, as he added, "Every site that has the application is going to be signed off on and examined by a supervisor, before we say 'Ok, this site is correct.'" It may not be a perfect system, but, hopefully, it has made roads safer overall. Ideally, other states have enacted similar training and oversight protocols for the sake of public safety.

For most drivers, tar snakes are little more than random squiggly lines, but, evidently, that's not the case for everyone. Much like the roadways out there with the least traction, they can be threats to one's safety while on a motorcycle, so it's paramount that they're not ignored by the public and poured in correctly by professionals.