Writer Motorists who stray off the lanes of Vermont interstate highways are in for a rude awakening this summer. The state is installing rumble strips along all 320 miles of interstate. The ribbons of rough pavement alert motorists who might have wandered unknowingly from the lane. Motorists hear a loud hum and the car shakes.
Planners hope the noise is enough to rouse a drowsing driver.
The rumble strips are also for people who aren't focusing on driving, who are fiddling with the radio, lighting a cigarette or yakking into a cell phone. Reckers said 101 accidents between 1995 and 1997 on Vermont's interstates were caused by drivers' not paying attention. The strips will be installed on the far right and far left shoulders. A 16-mile stretch of U.S. 4 west of Rutland will also have the strips. Scott anticipates few traffic tie-ups while the strips are put in.