Effectiveness

How effective are rumble strips as a safety enhancement? Let's do the numbers. Roadway Departures account for 54% of all fatal traffic crashes nationwide and about two-thirds of these Roadway Departures occur in rural areas. Rumble strips are effective for both types of roadway departure crashes, run-off-road, and ccross centerline. It has been estimated that 40 to 60 percent of run-off-road crashes are due to driver fatigue, drowsiness or inattention. Many studies of the effectiveness of shoulder rumble strips indicate that they can reduce overall crashes by 14-17 percent. Shoulder rumble strips have been documented to reduce run-off-road crashes by 7 to 41 percent. Centerline rumble strips may reduce head-on crashes by 21 to 68 percent. The reductions vary based mostly on type of road, rumble strip geometry, and severity of crashes analyzed.

See what the following States report on the effectiveness of rumble strips:

• California
• Delaware
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Wyoming