Rumble Strips

Rumble strips are an effective countermeasure for preventing roadway and lane departure crashes. Rumble strips provide an auditory (noise) and vibratory (vibration) sensation that alerts drivers when they are leaving the travel way.
There are two main applications of rumble strips: centerline and edge line/shoulder rumble strips. Centerline rumble strips are used on two-lane, two-way roadways as an effective countermeasure to prevent head-on and opposite direction sideswipe crashes. Edge line or shoulder rumble strips alert drivers that they are leaving the travel way and are used to prevent roadway departure crashes. Shoulder rumble strips can be effectively used on all roadways, even those roadways where bicycle traffic is prevalent through the use of a modified design that accommodates bicycle travel.

Recently, to address concerns with noise impacts, DelDOT adopted a sinusoidal, or wave-like, design which has been proven to be effective at reducing increases in exterior noises, while providing similar auditory and vibratory safety benefits for the vehicle leaving the roadway.

Additional Information