Centerline rumble strips are now in place

Aug 20, 2014 at 12:00 am by Observer-Review


Centerline rumble strips are now in place   ADVERTISEMENT

Centerline rumble strips are now in place

TRI-COUNTY AREA—People driving through the area over the summer may have noticed the recent additions of grooves along the center lines of along Routes 14, 14A and 54. These grooves are called rumble strips and are intended to help prevent head-on collisions.
According to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), the 2005 National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis found head-on and opposite direction sideswipe injury crashes were reduced by an estimated 25 percent at sites treated with centerline rumble strips. This study concluded centerline rumble strips can result in a 14 percent reduction of all crashes and a 15 percent reduction of injury crashes on rural two-lane roads. A study conducted in 2009 concluded fatal and injury head-on and opposite direction sideswipe crashes in rural areas were reduced by an average of 44 percent.
The Washington State DOT found the installation of centerline rumble strips resulted in a 37 percent reduction in all crossover collisions, and a 57 percent reduction in crossover collisions with serious and fatal injuries.
Approximately 120 deaths and 3,500 injuries occur each year in New York State from non-intersection head-on and opposite direction sideswipe crashes. Nationwide data shows one in five non-intersection fatal crashes involve two vehicles crashing head-on. Some 75 percent of these crashes occur on undivided two-lane roads. Thirty percent of the deaths are persons under the age of 25.
Some 29 other states are already using centerline rumble strips to prevent accidents. Installation of these strips costs approximately 30 cents per centerline foot. The projected benefits include increasing the visibility of pavement markings along with preventing approximately 20 deaths and 250 serious injuries per year along secondary highways.

 

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