|
|
Home > Roadway Departure Safety > Pavement Safety > Rumble Strips and Stripes
Downloadable Version
PDF [100 KB]
Federal Highway Administration
TECHNICAL ADVISORY:
SHOULDER AND EDGE LINE RUMBLE STRIPS
T 5040.39, Revision 1
November 7, 2011
PURPOSE: To transmit updated information and guidelines for the design and installation of shoulder and edge line rumble strips on appropriate segments of paved roads in the United States. This information applies to a wide range of projects including new construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, and safety improvements. Highway professionals should consider the needs of all road users, existing roadway conditions, the scope of the project, and the surrounding environment when applying this information and guidance. CANCELLATION: This Technical Advisory supersedes the information contained in T 5040.35, Roadway Shoulder Rumble Strips, dated December 20, 2001 and T5040.39, Shoulder and Edge Line Rumble Strips dated April 22, 2011. DEFINITIONS: A shoulder rumble strip is a longitudinal safety feature installed on a paved roadway shoulder near the outside edge of the travel lane. It is made of a series of milled or raised elements intended to alert inattentive drivers (through vibration and sound) that their vehicles have left the travel lane. An edge line rumble strip is a special type of shoulder rumble strip placed directly at the edge of the travel lane with the edge line pavement marking placed through the line of rumble strips. It is sometimes referred to as an edge line rumble stripe. (See Figure 1) BACKGROUND: One of the Federal Highway Administration's primary safety goals is to reduce the number and severity of roadway departure crashes. These consist of run-off-road (including cross median) crashes and cross center line crashes on undivided roads. Safety improvements proposed to address this goal include initiatives to keep vehicles on the roadway, to improve the likelihood of a safe recovery after a roadway departure, and to reduce the severity of those crashes that do occur. Shoulder or edge line rumble strips are one of the proven countermeasures that reduce the risks of run-off-road crashes.
The target driver: Rumble strips are placed as a countermeasure for driver error, rather than roadway deficiencies. They are designed primarily to assist distracted, drowsy, or otherwise inattentive drivers who may unintentionally drift over the edge line. For this set of drivers, the audible and vibratory warning produced by rumble strips greatly improves the opportunity for a safe recovery. In a study of 1,800 run-off-road freeway crashes, one state found that drift-off-road crashes (due to inattentive driving) resulted in death or serious injury at a rate three to five times higher than other categories of run-off-road crashes. Where drivers don't safely recover, the warning created by rumble strips often improves driver reaction, thereby reducing crash severity. Early rumble strip development: Pavement surface textures and treatments to provide audible and vibratory warning to drivers have been in use for over 50 years as a means to alert drivers leaving the travel lane. Rolled-in strips on asphalt shoulders and formed-in strips on concrete shoulders were two of the earlier designs used in installing shoulder rumble strips by a number of states. A major limitation was that they had to be installed with new pavement. There were also difficulties in consistently obtaining the desired shape. In the 1980s, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission developed a milled-in rumble strip design that could be installed on existing pavement. A series of trials led to a preferred design of ½ inch deep and 7 inches by 16 inches, producing tire vibration and noise with much greater alerting capacity than the rolled-in installation. Specified dimensions could also be produced more consistently. Subsequently, many other states began to use this milled-in design because of its effectiveness and ease of installation. Recent history: In the 1990s, several state transportation agencies and toll road authorities installed the milled-in shoulder rumble design pioneered in Pennsylvania, mostly on rural freeways and expressways. In recent years, many agencies have extended the use of rumble strips to two-lane roads because a significant portion of run-off-road crashes occur on these roads. Some agencies have also designed and installed narrower rumble strips where roadway widths limited the use of standard designs. The wider use of rumble strips has also led to a great number of design modification choices to accommodate bicyclists, who are also legal road users. Striping the rumble: The practice of placing the edge line pavement markings over the rumble strip improves nighttime marking visibility, particularly in wet conditions, by better positioning the marking optics on the back side of each rumble, compared to limiting their normal position within the flat marking. This practice can also increase the longevity of the markings, particularly within the rumble, due to reduced wear from tires and added protection from plowing activity.
EFFECTIVENESS: Run-off-road crashes account for approximately one-third of the deaths and serious injuries each year on the Nation's highways. Drift-off crashes, caused by drowsy, distracted, or otherwise inattentive driving, are a subset of run-off-road crashes. This subset contains the specific crash types that are most likely to be reduced by shoulder or edge line rumble strips. Many researchers have studied the effect of rumble strips on the larger set of run-off-road data because these crashes can be easily identified in crash databases. Some studies have addressed the more specific drift-off subset by analyzing narratives in the crash reports. In both cases, milled rumble strips are among the most cost-effective countermeasures available for this type of crash, since they directly address driver risk factors.
Run-off-road injury crashes: NCHRP Report 641 documents milled shoulder and edge rumble strips to provide statistically significant reductions in single-vehicle run-off-road injury crashes: 10 to 24 percent on rural freeways, and 26 to 46 percent on two-lane rural roads. Reductions were also shown on other types of roadways, but the estimates are not as statistically reliable. Drift-off-road crashes: Studies of milled freeway shoulder rumble strips in Michigan and New York documented drift-off-road crash reductions of 38 and 79 percent. Navigational aid in bad weather: Shoulder and edge line rumble strips may also serve as an effective means of locating the travel lane during inclement weather. Fog, snow, or blinding rain often obscure pavement markings. The vibration provided by rumble strips can assist drivers from unintentionally leaving the roadway in these conditions. In addition to vibration, there are potential visibility benefits. Even a light rain can seriously reduce the retroreflective capacity of pavement markings. When the edge line marking is placed within the rumble strip, the vertical component will often still be visible under these adverse conditions. Noise and vibration: The common milled rumble designs have been shown to be more effective at producing both noise and vibration, as compared to earlier designs, and are credited with higher crash reduction factors. Design, application, and construction factors also contribute to the effectiveness of a rumble strip installation. Further information on these factors is discussed below.
APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS: Edge line and shoulder rumble strips have the potential to reduce run-off-road crashes on any paved road. A summary of rumble strip practices and policies as of 2005 is included in NCHRP Report 641.
Corridor vs. spot treatment: Due to the difficulty in determining where a driver will become distracted or drowsy, it is recommended that rumble strips be installed system-wide or in corridors, prioritized
by the frequency of the specific crash types targeted
by the treatment. Agencies may use crash predictors such
as traffic volume or trip types (e.g. shift workers, younger
drivers). Crash history will often reveal high-priority
corridors, but spot installations of rumble strips based
solely on crash history are not expected to be as effective.
Within a corridor application, however, there may be spots
where discontinuing the rumble strip installation may
be prudent. Some of these issues are covered under Sections
9 and 10. Urban vs. rural: While rumble
strips have been extensively used in rural areas where
run-off-road crash problems exist, use on urban freeways
or other roadways functionally classified as urban is
also effective. Whether the roadway is classified as rural
or urban, the use of rumbles should be determined on the
merit of the cross-section and appropriate to the context.
Characteristics and concerns that often limit the usefulness
or application include low speeds, noise for adjacent
residences, pavement width, presence of curb and gutter,
and significant turning movements or other conflicts of
both motorists and other road users. Left vs. right: On divided
highways, shoulder rumble strips should be placed on the
left shoulder as well as on the right. A comprehensive
Michigan study of 1,887 drift-off freeway crashes showed
that approximately an equal percentage of vehicles involved
in crashes initially drifted to the left as to the right.
Combination of shoulder and center line
rumble strips: The practice of installing
both center line and shoulder rumble strips along the
same segments of road is becoming more common. A Missouri
study of the installation of rumble strips with wider
markings during resurfacing showed the greatest reduction
in serious injury crashes were found when both center
line and edge line rumble strips were installed with the
wider markings. Some studies have shown center line rumbles
cause motorists to shift vehicle position slightly toward
the shoulder. Therefore, when applying shoulder and center
line rumble strips in combination, consideration should
be given to total pavement width to determine how to best
accommodate and serve all road users, particularly in
no passing zones, where drivers may be reluctant to cross
the center line to pass a bicyclist (see Section 9).
DESIGN: The design of rumble strips factor
into their effectiveness. The terminology used in this technical
advisory is shown in Figure 1.
Types: There are four basic
rumble strip designs or types: milled-in, raised, rolled-in,
and formed. Research indicates milled rumble strips produce
significantly more vibration and noise inside the vehicle
than rolled rumbles. The key design parameter related
to effectiveness of the rumble strips is the dimensions,
which tend to be easier to control with milled-in rather
than rolled-in or formed rumbles. Profiled markings and
other forms of raised rumble strips are sometimes used
in climates where plowing is not a common occurrence.
The effectiveness of raised rumble strips has not been
widely studied. They are typically very narrow and prone
to wear or displacement. Dimensions: Optimum dimensions
for milled rumble strips depend on operating conditions,
cross-sectional characteristics, and potential road users.
Two key dimensions that have the most effect on the alerting
sound and vibration of rumble strips are depth (D) and
width longitudinal to the road (C) as shown in Figure
1. Most crash studies referenced here evaluated shoulder
or edge line rumble strips of 7 inches wide (C) by 16
inches long (B) with a depth (D) of one-half inch.
Figure 1.
One study showed the variation in length transverse to the road (B) had the least effect on noise produced in the vehicle compared to the other dimensions. The same study indicated that a rumble acting on the driver side tires, such as a shoulder rumble strip located on the inside (left) of a divided highway, produced more noise in the vehicle at the critical driver position than rumbles on the right. Location: Edge line rumble
stripes or shoulder rumble strips with a narrow offset
(A) from the edge line have been shown to be most effective,
because the driver is alerted sooner and it provides a
slightly larger recovery area after being alerted. This
is supported by research showing a statistically significant
higher reduction in crashes on rural freeways for rumble
strips with narrow or no offset, as opposed to those with
9 inches or more offset. For rural two-lane roads, research
on the impacts of narrowing the offset distance is inconclusive.
Most agencies also take the location of the pavement joint
into account to avoid cutting the strip across or immediately
adjacent to the joint. In superelevated sections where
the shoulder slopes in the opposite direction from the
roadway, consideration should be given to placing the
rumble strips on the superelevated side so that the driver
is warned prior to crossing the slope break. Continuous vs. intermittent application:
In the early days of rumble strip design, rumbles were
formed intermittently onto freshly poured concrete shoulders.
Since that time, the benefits of continuous rumble presence
have been acknowledged and most rumble applications today
provide for continuous application of the rumble line,
which includes breaks only for pre-determined situations
such as intersections, major driveways and recurring bicycle
gaps.
INSTALLATION: Offset should be measured
from the edge of the travel lane, not from the edge of the
shoulder, the width of which may vary. Monitoring is necessary
to ensure that proper depth and center-to-center spacing is
maintained throughout the length of the installation.
Milled rumble strips: Most
North American transportation agencies mill rumble strips
into their asphalt or concrete pavement. The milling operation
can be performed at any time, either in small quantity
as part of a construction project, or in large quantity,
taking advantage of the economy of scale by installing
rumble strips for long sections or a number of corridors.
Raised rumble strips: Raised
rumble strips using raised pavement markers or other available
products are sometimes used in climates where snow-plowing
is not a common occurrence. This can be useful where milling
would create a concern with the pavement integrity or
where the paved shoulder is planned to be converted to
a lane in the future. Rolled-in rumble strips:
Rolled-in rumble strips are installed during the compaction
phase. While the asphalt pavement is still hot, a steel
drum roller fitted with protruding steel bars rolls the
pavement and provides indentations in the asphalt. This
method cannot attain common dimensions for milled rumbles
and therefore produces less vibration to alert drowsy
drivers. Several construction difficulties have been reported
with the installation of rolled-in rumble strips, including
insufficient compaction, inconsistent dimensions, and
difficulties installing patterns such as bicycle gaps.
Formed rumble strips: Rumble
strips of similar shape and depth to milled designs have
been successfully formed into fresh portland cement concrete
pavement. However, while the formed rumbles can achieve
the desired rumble shape, consistency concerns and the
limitation on installation during the paving operation
remain. Edge line rumble stripes:
This application may be installed by milling over existing
pavement markings, which initially reduces the area of
the marking visible to the motorist. Alternatively, some
agencies install the rumble strip and new edge line at
a small offset from the existing edge line, to prevent
nuisance contacts with the rumbles. In either case, proper
installation of an edge line rumble stripe includes the
step of restoring the pavement marking over the top of
the rumble strips.
ACCOMMODATION OF ALL ROAD USERS: Safe accommodation
of all road users should be considered when designing and
applying rumble strips. This includes passenger and commercial
vehicle drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and others. Flexibility
is provided within this advisory to address the needs of these
users based on the existing and projected use in the specific
corridor. Bicyclists, in particular, are affected by rumble
strips. Where shoulders are available and clear, bicyclists
will often choose to use them to avoid conflicts with faster
moving vehicles in the travel lane. However, as legal road
users, they may also be in the travel lane. There are a number
of measures that should be considered to accommodate bicyclists.
Wide shoulders: Shoulders
improve safety for all road users. Where existing cross-section
exists or paved shoulders can be added within the scope
of the project, it is preferred to allow at least four
feet beyond the rumble strips to the edge of the paved
shoulder. Designers should be familiar with the FHWA design
guidance found at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/design.htm,
which recommends states not install rumbles on new
construction and reconstruction projects
where shoulders are used by bicyclists unless this condition
is met. Where guardrail, curb, or other continuous obstructions
exist, additional width may be needed to provide adequate
clearance for bicyclists (refer to current AASHTO bicycle
guidance for additional information). Bicycle gaps: Where any width
paved shoulder exists beyond the rumble strip and bicycles
are allowed to ride, recurring short gaps should be designed
in the continuous rumble strip pattern to allow for ease
of movement of bicyclists from one side of the rumble
to the other. A typical pattern is gaps of 10 to 12 feet
between groups of the milled-in elements at 40 to 60 feet. Edge line rumble strips: Use
edge line rumble strips or a smaller offset (A) where
it will allow additional shoulder area beyond the rumble
strip that is usable to a bicyclist, pedestrian or other
road user. In determining the appropriate offset, designers
should consider truck traffic in the corridor and the
proximity of residences, which may call for a larger offset.
Adjusted rumble dimensions:
(See Figure1) Decreased length transverse to the roadway
(B) of either edge line or shoulder rumble strips may
provide additional space usable to a bicyclist. Other
minor adjustments in design dimensions, such as increased
center-to-center spacing (E), reduced depth (D), and reduced
width longitudinal to the roadway (C), have been shown
to reduce impacts to bicyclists when they must be traversed.
Crash modification factors have not been developed for
these adjustments, but it is anticipated they will have
a somewhat reduced effectiveness in alerting drivers,
which is considered a reasonable tradeoff for an agency
attempting to balance the needs of all road users.
MITIGATING ADVERSE EFFECTS: A balance between
the safety of motorists, the potential adverse effects on
the life of the pavement, and effects on nearby residents
should be considered when installing rumble strips.
Maintenance: Early concerns
of accelerated pavement deterioration due to installation
of milled rumble strips have proven to be unfounded. However,
common practice is to locate the rumble strips at least
a few inches from joints to reduce any potential acceleration
of pavement deterioration. While rumble strips placed
on pavement in good condition will be more cost-effective
by virtue of being in place longer, shoulder deterioration
is a safety issue with or without the presence of rumble
strips. Experience has shown that traffic flow near the
rumble keeps water from accumulating in the strip. Where
there are deterioration concerns, an asphalt fog seal
can be placed over milled-in strips to reduce oxidation
and moisture penetration.
Recent experience in Michigan has shown that shoulder preventative maintenance treatments such as chip seal, ultra-thin hot mix asphalt, and micro-surface, can be compatible with rumble strips. Chip seal on top of an existing rumble strip has been shown to retain the basic shape of the rumble, although losing some cross-section. However, stones from the chip seal enhance the noise and vibratory properties of the rumble. Micro-surface and ultra-thin hot mix asphalt overlays fill in existing lines of rumble strips, but a fresh line of rumble strips can be cut into the overlay at the same location without significant delaminating caused by the underlying filled-in rumbles. Noise to nearby residents:
Citizen acceptance of a state or local agency safety countermeasure
should be taken into consideration as it can affect the
long-term viability of that strategy. Although rumble
strips are not intended to be traversed except when a
driver leaves the roadway, rumble strip installations
may produce noise complaints where there are nearby residences.
Particularly when issues such as numbers of large vehicles,
narrow lane widths, curves, or significant passing or
turning maneuvers combine. Mitigation may include:
Increasing the offset (A), particularly through curves where off-tracking is prevalent or in corridors with high volumes of truck traffic. Removal of the rumbles in the vicinity of turn lanes or in spot locations such as a single house along a segment of roadway. The need to discontinue the use of rumbles in spot locations should not necessarily prevent their use along a segment or corridor. Modifying other dimensions of the rumble strip. Note that noise measurements outside the vehicle should be used when mitigating this issue, not passenger compartment noise measurements that are used in studies of the effectiveness in alerting the driver.
Some surveys have shown that informed citizens often consider the improved safety worth the nuisance noise and that residents become accustomed to the noise fairly quickly.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND OUTREACH: Transportation
agencies should follow established procedures to involve all
road users and stakeholders (including motorist associations,
bicycle organizations, enforcement agencies and emergency
responders) in developing rumble strip implementation standards
and practices. This can help establish expectations for projects
with varying scopes of work and expedite project development.
When an agency is introducing edge line or shoulder rumble strips into an area for the first time or on a large scale, they should consider public outreach to inform the general public of the safety goals, explain how the treatment works, present historical success, and explain mitigation measures. Proactive newspaper articles, explanatory brochures, web-based videos, agency websites, and a variety of other outreach efforts have been used by many state DOTs and local agencies for this purpose. The expense of removing rumble strips can be significantly higher than the installation cost, so careful consideration of design and application along with public involvement and outreach often provides the most efficient use of limited funds.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Installation: On new and reconstruction projects, four feet of paved shoulder should extend beyond the rumble strip. Continuous, milled edge line or shoulder rumble strips should be considered:
System-wide on all rural freeways and other rural highways with posted or statutory speeds of 50 mph or greater (i.e. systemic safety projects). Along rural or urban corridors where significant numbers of run-off-road crashes that involve any form of motorist inattention have been identified (i.e. location-specific safety improvement projects). During any highway project with a history of run-off-road crashes or where shoulder or edge line rumble strips were overlaid during the paving process (e.g. reconstruction or resurfacing projects). Accommodation and Mitigation:
To position a rumble strip program for the best chance
of public acceptance, agencies should:
Consider accommodation of all road users and the potential adverse side effects mentioned in this advisory, Collaborate with stakeholders, and Modify the design and application of rumbles to the extent the agency considers appropriate to meet the safety goal. Public Involvement and Outreach:
Established public involvement procedures should be followed
to ensure road user and community needs are properly addressed.
When rumble strips are being introduced on a large scale
or in a new area, public outreach should also be considered.
- REFERENCES: The following resources are available on shoulder and edge line rumble strips.
- Torbic, D.J. et al, Guidance for the Design and
Application of Shoulder and Centerline Rumble Strips,
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 641,
2009.
- Morena, David A., The Nature and Severity of Drift-Off
Road Crashes on Michigan Freeways, and the Effectiveness
of Various Shoulder Rumble Strip Designs, Presented
at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research
Board, 2003.
- Perrillo, Kerry, The Effectiveness and Use of Continuous
Shoulder Rumble Strips, Federal Highway Administration,
New York, 1998.
- Hickey, John J. Jr., Shoulder Rumble Strip Effectiveness,
Drift-Off-Road Accident Reductions on the Pennsylvania
Turnpike, Transportation Research Record 1573, 1997.
- Sayed, T., Impact of Rumble Strips on Collision
Reduction on British Columbia Highways: A Comprehensive
Before and After Safety Study, Transportation Research
Record 2148, 2010.
- Carlson, Paul J. et al, Evaluation of Wet-Weather
and Contrast Pavement Marking Applications: Final Report,
Texas Transportation Institute, 2007.
- Potts, Ingrid B.et al, Benefit-Cost Evaluation
of MoDOT's Total Striping and Delineation Program,
Midwest Research Institute, 2008.
- Moeur, Richard C., Rumble Strip Gap Study,
Final Report, Arizona DOT, 1999.
- USDOT, Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian
Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations, 2010.
- Elefteriadou, L., et al, Bicycle-Friendly Shoulder
Rumble Strips, Pennsylvania Transportation Institute,
2000.
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), Guide for the Development of Bicycle
Facilities, Washington, DC, 1999.
Return to top
|
Program Contact
Cathy Satterfield
Cathy.Satterfield@dot.gov
708-283-3552
What’s New
Guidance memorandum on the Roadside Design Guide - 4th Edition NEW!
Memorandum - Roadside Safety Hardware-Federal-Aid Reimbursement Eligibility Process NEW!
2009 MUTCD Compliance Dates Revised NEW!
FHWA Technical Advisory T 5040.40: Center Line Rumble Strips NEW!
FHWA Memo: Technical Advisories for Rumble Strips NEW!
Roadway Departure Safety Implementation Plans
Roadway Departure Countermeasures
Roadside Design: Steel Strong Post W-beam. A guidance memo was issued on May 17, 2010 on the height of guardrail for new installations. Guidance regarding existing guardrail will be developed in the next several months, in consultation with AASHTO’s Technical Committee on Roadside Safety.
Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [HTML, PDF]
MUTCD Text of the Proposed Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Standard
Summary of the MUTCD Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Standard
Revised Assessment of Economic Impacts of Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity
Publications
Low Cost Treatments for Horizontal Curve Safety
The Safety Edge
|
