> My observation is that roads fail first where people are slamming on the brakes.
It's possible you're getting deceived here, because the highest wear road surfaces are made from more durable material, and areas where drivers might need to slam on the brakes often have high friction surfaces, which are more wear-prone.
So the industrial area where dozens of fully laden 18-wheelers are making sharp turns every day gets paved in the most durable concrete mix possible, the school zone pedestrian crossing approach gets a high-grip sandpaper-like surface, and a few months later it looks like the school zone is getting a lot more wear.
Highly unlikely given that the observation is relative to the roads in the immediate vicinity. This is very observable on flat off-ramps. the last ~200 feet before the stop at the end of the off ramp will get ruts within a year or two, but the rest of the off ramp is fine and the other side of the road where cars are accelerating is just fine.
It's possible you're getting deceived here, because the highest wear road surfaces are made from more durable material, and areas where drivers might need to slam on the brakes often have high friction surfaces, which are more wear-prone.
So the industrial area where dozens of fully laden 18-wheelers are making sharp turns every day gets paved in the most durable concrete mix possible, the school zone pedestrian crossing approach gets a high-grip sandpaper-like surface, and a few months later it looks like the school zone is getting a lot more wear.