IMS_Blog

Rumble strips. On roads. The things which are slightly raised ridges that cause a rumble when driven over, warning you to slow down. They’re annoying me. It’s not really the basic concept that I have a problem with. If I’m approaching a junction, or a built up area with a lower speed limit, for example, then they’re a useful (though almost always unnecessary—the junction/speed limit/whatever is invariably already in view) additional note to the driver. what I do object to is that in the majority of cases they stretch across both sides of the carriageway. That’s across the side of the road leading away from the junction, or into the higher speed limit area. Why? I am, almost by definition, at that point accelerating (and these things are often present for such a length of road that I’ve even finished accelerating). I’m going well above the speed they’re designed to make the “rumble” at; but why not? I’m pretty much supposed to be. In this situation the rumble makes no sense at all, but is nothing but an aggravating annoyance.

The truly annoying thing is that in places they’ve been done properly, and the rumble strip only runs across the half of the road where it makes sense. Surely that must be cheaper and less disruptive in the first place? Why can’t they manage that whenever they make them (and yes, new one’s do keep appearing)?