What are the trade-offs associated with rumble strips?

While the purpose of Shoulder Rumble Strips is to reduce run-off the road accidents, they can also produce less desirable impacts.

Vibration levels produced by rumble strips can create control problems for bicyclists.  WSDOT’s goal is to provide the optimum level of safety for all users, therefore, the use of SRS as a counter-measure for run-off-the-road accidents must be balanced with the safety of bicyclists.  This requires compromise in the design and/or placement of the SRS.

It has been reported that residents near highways where rumble strips are installed find the noise levels objectionable.

Milled-in rumble strips may cause the pavement to ravel, when used improperly.  They should not be placed on pavements with inadequate structure, nor should they be placed too close to the pavement edge.  

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