Evaluation of Erratic Maneuvers Associated with Installation of Rumble Strips

Abstract

An important consideration for any traffic control device is drivers’ responses to the installation of that device. One way to measure driver response or driver behavior is to study erratic maneuvers. Erratic maneuvers demonstrate confusion or surprise experienced by the driver and can possibly compromise road safety. It is especially important to understand drivers’ responses to traffic control devices like rumble strips, which are designed to improve safety. In this paper, both erratic and avoiding maneuvers are investigated for three rumble strip configurations: transverse (or in-lane), centerline, and edge line (shoulder rumble strips placed directly on the marked edge line). Erratic maneuvers can include hard braking, swerving, rapid alignment or lane shifting, correcting the trajectory in the wrong direction (i.e., further onto the shoulder or into an opposing travel lane), or losing vehicular control. Avoiding maneuvers can include less severe but more frequent movements, like straddling or shifting smoothly around rumble strips. No evidence was found that suggested that the installation of transverse, centerline, or edge line rumble strips induces erratic maneuvers by drivers. Some tendency toward increasing avoiding maneuvers was observed, but the data did not show that these maneuvers compromised safety.