My pet peeve - rumble strips!

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by CamJam1

I figured that would rattle your chains.

If you see a Dolphin with its right rear duallies on the white line be sure to wave as you pass.

Do you understand that if you have the right rear outside on the line for the length of your rig, your right front is also on the line? And a 6-8 inch line painted at the edge of pavement, means your front tire is right next to the full depth grove?
You ever drive a highway where each expansion joint is a jar? Like the pavement on each side of joint is a different level? Do you know that at each of the joints has steal pins holding the slabs at same level, and we still get that shift. And most times, the set of pins, on a wire frame is placed, a continuous slab is poured. Then after the concrete sets, they come back and cut a grove, the bottom of which is above the steel. This is not a full depth grove!
Never have I seen a shoulder pinned to the lane. We get shift slab to slab with pins across a grove that does not go all the way thru, is there a chance the shoulder is a little lower than the driving lane? Can the pavement of lane and shoulder work as a funnel to force water under the pavement? Water under the pavement will soften the subgrade, leave the pavement unsupported. The more and heavier vehicles that drive on the edge of pavement, the sooner it will break.

[CamJam1]

C'mon, some of you guys are being way too serious. I do like the idea for removing pebbles from the tires though.

[akeagle]

Originally Posted by johninsd

Having the rumble strips in the middle of the shoulder really makes bicycle travel unpleasant and in some cases unsafe. I rode coast to coast a few times and there were a few roads where the rumble strips took up the entire width of the shoulder. This left cyclists a choice, either share the 12 foot lane with the motor vehicles or ride in the gravel outside the shoulder. Most choose to ride in the lane. If a 12 foot lane isn't wide enough for a motor vehicle (at most 8'6" wide unless oversize (in which case a permit is required)) perhaps the driver needs some remedial training.

At the risk of sounding like a jerk, there is a third option: Stay off roads like that for the sake of your personal safety. I've seen a lot of bicyclists that I'm more than willing to assume are well versed in bicycle safety but still put themselves in some very unsafe situations. A human nature sort of thing I guess. It may be inconvenient, but sometimes a different route might be best!

[wallynm]

In some states two and three lane roads will have rumble strips on both sides of your lane to keep you from drifting into on coming traffic.

[Steve 716]

It isn't just a state consistency decision. Many states have a mixture of roads with rumble strips in different locations. The positive is they can wake you up if you start drifting or daydreaming and get you to pay attention. Does this work? I don't know. I have seen people reading books, chatting with their riders, putting on make-up, making phone calls, making notes, and texting while driving and, given that they are thoughtless idiots placing my health in their distracted hands, rumble strips probably are, at best, just one more thing they ignore.

I agree that rumble strips are most effective if they are in the middle the shoulder but others will disagree. I don't worry if I drift onto strips while driving though. It makes some noise but doesn't impair driving so I don't worry about it.

[Walt Graham]

If you drive in Florida be aware that the state, counties and cities places rumble strips right in the travel lane at a fair number of intersections that have heavy traffic and limited signals. I have also noticed that a number of road construction projects have the really obnoxious rumble strips placed prior to the construction zone especially if a flagman is used or on the Interstate. They are so obnoxious that they can take the steering wheel right out of your hands on a Class A motorhome. While I know it's not the safest thing to do I will try to go around them knowing the state or county will not be responsible for damage to my coach. I know this is for safety in slowing the traffic but come on why so obnoxious with the rumble ?

[CA Harts]

Rumble strips my dad called that driving by Braille.

[Magee]

[QUOTE=BonS;4902582]In many states the rumble strips are well outside of the white line lane marker. In Missouri they're placed exactly inline with the white line.

I live in Missouri - sometimes the rumbles are inline with the white line, some places (within the same county) they are outside by 4 to 8 inches. However, on any highways in Missouri I have driven, it there are rumble strips on the sides, there are also rumble strips in the center (unless the snow plows have scraped off). My take on this is, Wow, I didn't know how crooked I drove until the highway department started these rumble strips!

[Magee]

Originally Posted by rodekyll

I worked for a plastics jobber that made 10,000 per day of those little road turtles that they used to mark lanes with. it's sad that they'll lose the business as the ground-in rumble strips replace them. It bothers me to cross the grinders on my motorcycle. Unlike the dots I can't aim between them. I think they're dangerous to bikes. Especially the centerline ones. But it's the evolution of road markings.

I (not riding a bike) like the rumbles - keeps me driving straighter! But, in states with lots of snow and freezing weather, the center lines rumbles pretty much disappear after a a couple of winters. Plus, they make the asphalt weaker - sad.

[shootist]

I count them for entertainment when I hit them.

[soberskier]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

I think that in some cases it depends on how wide the shoulder pavement extends. I know that's not always the case, as I've seen the rumble strip right at the outer edge of the white stripe, even though there are several feet of pavement beyond that!

Ditto. I hate when that darn rumble strip is right by the white line.

[Bob J Fisher]

As a cyclist having rumble strips in the center of the shoulder puts me to close to traffic if I ride to the left or in tire flating debris if I ride to the right, if there is any room to begin with. So having the rumble strips on the white line works the best for me.

[Pops8]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

One has to wonder how many injuries or lives have been saved by having these strips on our highways. With the number of distracted, inattentive, sleepy and plain stupid drivers on today's roads I'm sure the strips have been effective.
Lynn

And I wonder how many potential single vehicle crashes have become head-on collisions because someone hit a strip and jerked it hard left? Hmmm

[CntryCoachRV]

Originally Posted by CamJam1

Gee, thanks for your advice, Lynn. I never thought of that (sarcasm). Seriously, I don't know many people who make a habit of purposely driving on the rumble strips, but having them right on the white line is annoying as hell when you're driving a big rig on a bumpy road in a cross wind, besides which I like to give myself some extra distance between myself and opposing traffic in case some inattentive fool drifts over the line. I have had three such close calls in my 50 years of driving (none of them my fault) and I don't care to have any others.

I agree that at least a foot off the white line is much better, and there's nothing wrong with them being in the center of the road. In fact, I wish they'd do more of that on busy two-lanes.

My problem is not with the rumble strips per se, it's that in some states in recent years they put them too close to the white line on the right.

Here’s a thought since you aren’t supposed to cross over the solid white line, the FOG LINE, why would rumble strips bother you if they are where you aren’t supposed to be? I drive the center line, not the FOG line.