Rumble strips are becoming more common on Maine roads and elsewhere as officials make an all-out effort to cut down on accidents. Route 3 here in Maine is the latest roadway scheduled for the strips, hoping it will reduce the number of head-on crashes.

In addition to discouraging inattentive drivers from drifting into the other lane, these strips along the shoulder of the pavement warn motorists they may be headed for the ditch. They’re a great warning for drivers who are dozing off behind the wheel, a common problem on both highways and secondary roads. There are even rumble strips now to remind you to slow down as you approach a toll booth.

Our first encounter with a rumble strip or grooved pavement along the side of the road was a number of years ago and gave us a good laugh at the time. We don’t remember where we were, but think it was in Massachusetts.  We were definitely on a major highway, not a secondary road, when we heard a strange noise and knew something was wrong. It went right away, so we slowly continued on our way when lo and behold, the sound came back a few minutes later. We pulled over into the breakdown lane, got out and checked all around the car and under the hood. Everything looked OK. We got back in the car and proceeded cautiously, fearful that we were probably going to have to call for a tow truck or pull into the nearest garage and either wait for repairs or call home for someone to come get us.

It took several minutes for us to realize the noise was occurring whenever the tires touched the rumble strips. We had never encountered these new safety measures before, only heard about them. The rest of the trip home was uneventful.

Today, rumble strips are in widespread use on nearly every turnpike and major highway and on as many secondary roads as state and local budgets will allow in an effort to cut down on the number of accidents. Here in Maine, lately we’re seeing more and more severe crashes resulting in serious injuries or death rather than the more typical fender-bender. Road closures are commonplace, as crews work to clear the scene.

We don’t know what rumble strips cost, but we’d love to see them on as many roads as possible, both on the center line and along the edge of the pavement. We think they can be credited with preventing more accidents than we can even imagine.