Guidelines for Using Rumble Strips
Principal Investigator:
Kathleen Harder, Senior Research Associate, College of Design
Co-Investigator:
- John Bloomfield, Research Associate, College of Design
Project Summary:
This project is in response to a request by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board for research that focuses on the effect(s) of in-lane rumble strips on stopping behavior at problem intersections. The few existing case studies reveal that the data are not definitive in terms of whether or not rumble strips have a noticeable effect on stopping behavior at rural stop-controlled intersections; however, these studies were not well-controlled (e.g., the age, quality, and maintenance of the rumble strips in the case studies were not controlled for), so questions remain regarding the utility of rumble strips. County engineers frequently find themselves in litigious situations because of the public's perception that rumble strips are highly effective devices at problem rural controlled intersections. On the other hand, rumble strips can become a liability because once in place, they are often not properly maintained. The goal of this project is to conduct a well-controlled empirical study that will establish guidelines for where to use and not use rumble strips in order to move toward standardization. Such guidelines would be helpful to county engineers, giving them more knowledge regarding whether or not in-lane rumble strips should be a tool they apply to problem intersections.
Sponsor:
Project Details:
- Start date: 04/2003
- Project Status: Completed
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow
- Topics: Rural Transportation, Safety