Rumble strips to prevent wrong way driving

Evonik has developed a simple but effective concept to reduce the risk of wrong-way drivers. The company’s cold plastic, one-sided rumble strips have been developed following a string of incidents in Germany in which drivers have travelled in the wrong direction on stretches of high-speed autobahn. The marking system has undergone successful initial tests and the concept has been received well by German police, looking for a system to deal with the problem. There are around 75-80 crashes/ year in Germany
August 19, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
4009 Evonik has developed a simple but effective concept to reduce the risk of wrong-way drivers.

The company’s cold plastic, one-sided rumble strips have been developed following a string of incidents in Germany in which drivers have travelled in the wrong direction on stretches of high-speed autobahn. The marking system has undergone successful initial tests and the concept has been received well by German police, looking for a system to deal with the problem. There are around 75-80 crashes/ year in Germany alone resulting from drivers travelling in the wrong direction on the autobahn network.

The one-sided rumble strips are installed on the road surface within a 100cm wide by 2cm deep recessed groove across the lane. The specially shaped cold plastic coating features an uneven, rough bulge that gives potential wrong-way drivers both an audible and physical warning, alerting them of the hazard.

But drivers who are travelling in the correct direction will hardly notice the rumble strips and perceive them as no more than a slight bump in the road. Final trials are being carried out and the firm hopes to have the system ready for market shortly.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Navtech Radar to showcase ClearWay radar-based safety and monitoring systems
    March 19, 2012
    Navtech Radar will be showcasing the safety and economic benefits of using longer-range radar systems for Automated Incident Detection (AID) and enforcement at Intertraffic 2012. The company’s ClearWay sensor technology is currently deployed in live tunnel and above-ground environments in Northern Europe and has been further developed to provide count and classification capabilities as well as an effective counter to illegal tailgating and unsafe lane-change manoeuvres.
    Read More
  • Two German autobahns benefit from new Wirtgen concrete slipforming technology
    November 15, 2013
    Two important routes in Germany, the A9 and A6 autobahn highways, have benefited from the use of the latest Wirtgen slipforming machines. The A9 is a particularly important route in Germany as this 529km link connects capital Berlin with the southern city of Munich, running through Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria.
    Read More
  • Efficient construction leads to quality roads
    November 30, 2012
    Technology to assist the installation of quick laying, yet top-quality, road surfaces requiring less frequent repair, thus limiting costs and the number of construction sites, is being sought by highways authorities the world over. The European Union devised project ASPHALT (Advanced Galileo Navigation System for Asphalt Fleet Machines) for satellite navigation and fleet management may have found just what such authorities are looking for. Within the scope of the ASPHALT research project MOBA, together wit
    Read More
  • Polymer enhanced bitumen technology improves performance
    July 11, 2012
    As overall traffic volumes increase, the contribution from commercial vehicles with increased axle loads is growing, putting ever more strain on roads and highway maintenance budgets. Highway authorities are looking for products that will be able to cope better and are more cost effective over the life of a road. Technical innovation is the only way to answer this challenge effectively, says BP Bitumen, one of a number of specialist companies involved in bitumen technology.
    Read More

Highlighted Content