Centerline rumble stripes as an alternative to raised pavement markers

Stuart Richard Mitkey, Purdue University

Abstract

A raised pavement marker is a retroreflective lens on a substrate attached to the pavement so as to protrude slightly above the pavement surface. Raised pavement markers (RPMs) have been used in the United States for decades to improve lane delineation in low light conditions. In areas subject to winter snowfall, the retroreflective lens is protected by a cast iron body embedded into the roadway to protect the lens from snowplow blades. There is empirical evidence that raised pavement markers become dislodged from the pavement when struck by snowplows or heavy vehicles and in some cases become projectiles that present a threat to motorists, creating a source of tort liability for the state. To address this issue, Indiana is considering centerline rumble stripes (CLRS) as an alternative to RPMs to maintain lane delineation in low light conditions without jeopardizing motorists' safety or exposing the state to tort liability. Experimental test sites were set up to analyze the performance of CLRS in multiple regions throughout Indiana. The criteria for evaluation included retroreflectivity in dry and wet conditions and the cost of installation and maintenance. The study results suggest that CLRS exhibit greater retroreflectivity compared to the standard painted line while being less expensive to install and maintain than RPMs. Placing paint within the rumble strip (creating a rumble stripe) adds a visibility improvement to the already-documented ability of rumble strips to alert an inattentive driver to lane departure. Based on the quantitative and qualitative analyses of this study, the CLRS were found to be a cost-effective alternative to RPMs for Indiana.

Degree

M.S.E.

Advisors

Bullock, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Civil engineering

COinS