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Guidance for the Design and Application of Shoulder and Centerline Rumble Strips (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 113-117

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From page 113...
... Based on the safety evaluations conducted as part of this research and from previous safety research, we know many rumble strip patterns generate sufficient stimuli levels to alert inattentive, distracted, drowsy, or fatigued drivers, but it is not known to what extent the dimensions of these rumble strips could be modified while still maintaining their effectiveness. The complexity of this issue rests at several levels.
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From page 114...
... Overview The purpose of shoulder and centerline rumble strips is to inform drivers as they inadvertently leave the travel lane that they are in danger of running off the road or colliding with oncoming vehicles. The information provided to drivers as they encounter a rumble strip comes in the form of vibration.
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From page 115...
... Field Data The following sections discuss field research that directly evaluated noise levels necessary to alert drivers and the characteristics of rumble strips that could produce these levels. Required Sound Levels Although he did not reference the source of the information, Outcalt (44)
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From page 116...
... In a review of shoulder rumble strip design for Michigan, Morena (21) stated that while both milled and rolled designs "can provide some outside noise to alert a drifting driver, the milled design produces a louder noise and adds to that a vehicle vibration that most certainly increases the potential for alerting the drowsy or distracted driver." Rumble Strip Characteristics In a recent synthesis of centerline rumble strips, Russell and Rys (36)
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From page 117...
... Several key findings related to this issue are as follows: • Several sources, not necessarily related to rumble strip research, indicate that humans can perceive a change in sound level intensity when the difference is as low as 1 dBA, or even lower. None of these sources suggest that a change of 1 dBA should be the minimum threshold level for the alerting properties of shoulder or centerline rumble strips.
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Key Terms

  • rumble strips
  • centerline rumble
  • rumble strip
  • sound level
  • shoulder rumble

  • strip patterns
  • travel lane
  • milled rumble
  • safety evaluation
  • strip pattern

  • sound levels
  • strip dimensions
  • ble strips
  • milled shoulder
  • motor vehicle

  • rolled rumble
  • passenger compartment
  • der rumble
  • safety benefits
  • noise levels

  • strip configurations
  • noise level
  • motor vehicles
  • ambient sound
  • vehicle speed

  • line rumble
  • vibration levels
  • alerting properties
  • levels generated
  • ble strip


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