The Connecticut Department of Transportation, through a pilot program, will test the effectiveness of centerline rumble strips on 11 miles of undivided state highways in a half-dozen locations around the state, according to the Hartford Courant.
Centerline rumble strips alert drivers when they have drifted over the yellow line dividing the highway through vibrations passed through the tires into the body of the car and by a loud rumble made as the car’s tires pass over the strip. They are placed on roads to prevent head-on collisions and opposite-direction side-swipes. The Courant reports that 30 state residents are killed and more than 1,000 are injured each year in these types of accidents.
A 2011 report from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that centerline rumble strips reduce accidents by 40% on urban roads and 9% on rural roads.
The article also reports that the federal government will provide $48,000 and Connecticut will provide $12,000 to fund the pilot program.
