Rumble Strips

Motorists are getting a wake-up call these days as they drive state roadways. The Missouri Department of Transportation is busy installing Rumble Strips - a new safety feature to reduce crashes and injuries - on major highways to alert motorists when they're leaving the driving lane. Missouri is a leading state in using the stripes as part of a comprehensive pavement marking system.

A rumble stripe is a grooved pattern in the pavement that is painted with durable, highly reflective paint. The grooves make noise and cause vehicles to vibrate when they leave the driving lane. The edgeline marking visibly shows where the lane ends, and the shoulder begins.

"We're using rumble strips to improve safety on our roads, said System Management Director Don Hillis." In 2004 alone there were more than 21,000 crashes in Missouri involving a vehicle running off the road. These stripes help alert motorists sooner and keep them on the road to avoid potential crashes.

In fact, crashes where motorists ran off the road are the second highest cause of deaths on Missouri highways and the leading cause of roadway injuries. The leading cause of deaths on Missouri highways is due to motorists not wearing their seat belts.

Thanks to the passage of Amendment 3 in November 2004, MoDOT received additional funds to improve Missouri roads and make them "Smoother, Safer, Sooner." The Rumble Strips are part of a new pavement marking system the department began implementing this summer on the 2,200 miles of interstates and major highways identified in MoDOT's Smooth Roads Initiative. The system, which will be completely applied to new pavement by the end of 2007, will help visibility during all conditions, but especially at night and in the rain. Major roads will have some combination of Rumble Strips, painted edgelines and painted or taped centerlines.

"We've studied highways around the country and worked with the nation's leading companies to develop the best products for Missouri," said Hillis. A combination of wider stripes, reflective tape, Rumble Strips, more durable paint and improved signs will give drivers the best visibility possible. The system is also cost effective. MoDOT has used a similar feature, called rumble strips, on some roads.

Rumble strips are grooved patterns used on shoulders to alert drivers they are leaving the roadway. They are also used at approaches to intersections. However, these types of strips are not painted for visibility.

"The pavement marking industry is constantly evolving, and MoDOT will keep abreast of these changes by continuing to test new materials and processes," Hillis said. We will continue to work to provide the safest possible roadways for Missouri motorists.

The department is also testing Rumble Strips in the center lane of two-lane highways to help keep motorists away from oncoming traffic. One test project is on Route 21 in Jefferson County. Once the testing is completed, the department may expand the use of Rumble Strips to other two-lane highways statewide.

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