Promoting CenterLine Rumble Strips to Increase Rural, Two-Lane Highway Safety

In the United States, 60 percent of fatal accidents occur on rural roads. Among these, 90 percent occur on two-lane roads, and 20 percent of these accidents involve two vehicles traveling in opposite directions, totaling 4,500 fatal accidents per year. Centerline Rumble Strips (CLRS) are primarily installed on the centerline of undivided, two lane, two-way highways, and their main purpose is reduction of crossover accidents, specifically head-on and opposite direction sideswipe accidents, which are usually caused by driver inattention and/or drowsiness. Several authors have reported advantages other than reducing accidents in installing CLRS, such as a high benefit-cost ratio, improvement of lateral vehicle position to the right, low interference in passing maneuvers, versatile installation conditions, and public approval. However, some concerns involving CLRS, such as disturbing noise for nearby residents, decreased visibility of the painted strips, faster pavement deterioration, potential driver erratic maneuvers to the left after encountering CLRS, and ice formation in the grooves, have been cited in the current literature. The objective of this report is to summarize results of three studies conducted by Kansas State University in 2008 and 2009; addressing some of the above mentioned concerns related to the installations of CLRS.Centerline Rumble Strips do increase the levels of external noise. Based on analysis using a light and medium vehicle, a distance of 200 feet from centerline should be considered. This is the distance where noise from CLRS is no longer greater than smooth pavement. This study applied three methods of evaluating the visibility of pavement markings. Based only on the limited data collected, it can be concluded that the coverage check method should not substitute the retroreflectometer readings for studies of retroreflectivity, since the correlation of the two methods was not reliable. In addition, the spectrometry method should only be used as a complementary analysis. The spectrometry method revealed that the yellow pavement markings remained within the yellow spectrum over the study period at all three locations.

• Record URL:
  http://www.ksdot.org/PublicLib/doccontent.dll?LibraryName=PublicDocs^dt00mx38&SystemType=2&LogonId=c61d9a8c79c2f7e28e8f261c5042fa5f&DocId=003804929
• Corporate Authors:

  Kansas State University, Manhattan

  Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
  Manhattan, KS  United States  66506

  Kansas Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Materials and Research, 700 SW Harrison Street
  Topeka, KS  United States  66603-3745
• Authors:
  • Rys, Margaret J
  • Karkle, Daniel E
  • Vijayakumar, Arun
  • Makarla, Rohit
  • Russell, Eugene
• Publication Date: 2010-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 85p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Center lines; Countermeasures; Highway safety; Noise; Rumble strips; Rural highways; Two lane highways; Visibility
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01329762
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: K-TRAN: KSU-08-3
• Contract Numbers: C1697
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 16 2011 1:42PM