Overview
Run-off-road crashes cause one-third of all traffic fatalities and two-thirds of those crashes occur in rural areas. The main causes of run-off-road crashes is that we’re sleepy. Too many drivers are falling asleep at the wheel. The problem is compounded because we drive too fast. Alcohol and drugs can contribute to both fatigue and speed, but most often it’s drowsy drivers who think they can “make it home,” or that they have to "make it home," who become run-off-road crash statistics. In 1995, the crashes caused by drivers who fell asleep at the wheel caused 1,500 deaths and 71,000 injuries.
Noise and vibration produced by shoulder rumble strips are effective alarms for drivers who are leaving the roadway. They are also helpful in areas where motorists battle rain, fog, snow, or dust. Rumble strips also help reduce highway hypnosis—a condition where white lines and yellow stripes on long, monotonous stretches of straight freeway can mesmerize and wreak havoc with a driver’s concentration.
