Rumble strips on road sides is an amazing and ingenious invention. An idea that wasn't technology limited and could have been implemented long ago. But it seems to have a niggling down side, doesn't it cause drag to the steering tire on the side nearing the road edge, the drag on that tire inducing further pulling toward the road edge?

Perhaps, but they have saved me more than once from drifting off the road or falling asleep on a long drive. They can be startling.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
Rumble strips on road sides is an amazing and ingenious invention. An idea that wasn't technology limited and could have been implemented long ago. But it seems to have a niggling down side, doesn't it cause drag to the steering tire on the side nearing the road edge, causing impetus further steering off the road?

Yes it does. On the few occasions I've accidentally veered onto a rumble strip shoulder, I've had to fight the car to get it back on the road.

There have been times in Wyoming where I80 was so slick that I drove a semi hundreds of miles with one tire (well, technically nine tires) on the rumble strip for the grip. Only way to stay straight. Wasn’t too bad at 30 MPH.

They cause a little extra drag, but not enough that I've ever felt it sucking me off the road. They've saved me a couple of times over the years when I let the car drift during long stretches on the highway. I also remember a time coming back from Ohio after Thanksgiving when it snowed a ton. We were the only car on the road, and you couldn't tell where the pavement stopped and the grass started. The rumble strips provided a means of knowing where the edge of the road was. I'm glad they're there.

A little bit, but it’s worth it.

Perhaps the extra drag causing a vehicle to veer toward the road edge isn't necessarily bad? Perhaps preferable to to drifting across the center lane and hitting oncoming traffic head on?

Of course, sometimes rumble strips are used on the left hand edge of the travel lane...

The drag of a rumble strip, is on order of magnatude less, than the drag when the tires hit soft shoulder...

Flip.

Maybe tug at it a little, but not veer.

Many roads in my area have a rumble strip at the centerline.
The shoulder side rumble strip should be uniform in construction throughout each state. But could differ too..

Rt 66 has a rumble strip that plays
"America the Beautiful" if you drive 45mph.

https://www.popularmechanics.c...-66-musical-highway/

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
There have been times in Wyoming where I80 was so slick that I drove a semi hundreds of miles with one tire (well, technically nine tires) on the rumble strip for the grip. Only way to stay straight. Wasn’t too bad at 30 MPH.

I've done that in AK and Alberta too with my truck. Sometimes dedicated winter tires (studded in AK and studless in Alberta) and weight in the back end just was not enough.

I suspect the slight drag to veer the car is way offset by the startled driver wrenching the wheel to correct it.

flashguy

Well worth the little extra tug. I don’t feel as though it made me veer so much as snapped me awake or kept me on the road in snowstorms. Saved me more than once.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I suspect the slight drag to veer the car is way offset by the startled driver wrenching the wheel to correct it.

flashguy

Exactly. The suddenness of the vibrations causes and involuntary tightening of your grip on the steering wheel allowing you to maintain control of the vehicle and re-center it in your lane.

I wonder if rumble strips could be designed to guide the tire back toward the center.

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
Many roads in my area have a rumble strip at the centerline.

AZ has instituted this policy. New highway pavings include the center rumble strip.
 
I live just off US 93, but our house is 1/2 mile back from the highway. On a normal day (with the prevailing wind blowing from our house towards the highway, S->N) I cannot hear any vehicle noise except for rumble strip noise. When AZ repaved 93 with the center rumble strip, at first I kept wondering why so many vehicles were wandering off the road in one short stretch. Turns out they were passing.

They suck if you're on a motorcycle.

Those strips are my friends. Saved my sleepy ass many times.

Well if you hit them, then you're already veering so...