The Temporary Portable Rumble Strip: Road Safety Reinvented

The scourge of distracted driving is not limited to any one demographic group or nation. It is global, and affects every victim and their families. The dire situation, caused largely by technology, requires technological solutions, including new traffic safety countermeasures. The transverse rumble strip, a countermeasure reinvented as the Temporary Portable Rumble Strip (TPRS) in 2009, is already proving a significant, innovative addition to work zone safety processes and procedures. This device is designed to reduce accidents and save lives by alerting drivers to changing road conditions. The rumble strip provides significant vibration and sound alerts to drivers, forcing them to refocus attention on driving and, most often, reduce their speed. Though not widely known, 85% of work zone fatalities are suffered by drivers, not construction workers. Drivers cause accidents in work zones by following too closely to the car ahead, changing lanes improperly, or driving too fast for conditions. The temporary rumble strip can reduce all three occurrences. Our presentation will show and discuss: design criteria of the temporary portable rumble strip; how the device alerts drivers; work zone applications in which to install temporary rumble strips; specifications from governing agencies. The audience will understand the development of the Temporary Portable Rumble Strip (TPRS) as an effective countermeasure; how TPRS alerts drivers to changing road conditions, like work zones; speed reductions shown with use of TPRS.