Skip to main content

Evonik helps rumble strips prevent wrong-way driving

Each year in Germany, up to 80 accidents are caused by drivers on the wrong side of the road, of which many are on- and off-ramps to a main highway. To prevent this, a pilot test has been devised to alert drivers to their wrong-way direction. Cold plastic, one-sided rumble strips are being installed on the road surface within a 100cm-wide by 2cm-deep recessed groove across the lane. The specially shaped cold plastic coating with an uneven, rough bulge gives drivers a strong tactile and acoustic signal, aler
December 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Each year in Germany, up to 80 accidents are caused by drivers on the wrong side of the road, of which many are on- and off-ramps to a main highway

To prevent this, a pilot test has been devised to alert drivers to their wrong-way direction. Cold plastic, one-sided rumble strips are being installed on the road surface within a 100cm-wide by 2cm-deep recessed groove across the lane.

The specially shaped cold plastic coating with an uneven, rough bulge gives drivers a strong tactile and acoustic signal, alerting them of the hazard situation. But drivers who are driving in the correct direction will notice only a slight bump in the road.

A prototype was tested on the former military airbase in Rothenburg, a town in Germany’s Upper Lusatia region and close to the Polish border.

A 32m-long test route consisting of five strips was set up. For the diagonal markings, a cold plastic material developed from Limboplast, made by 4009 Evonik Industdries, especially for applying to the grooves in the road surface.

Limboplast for rumble strips is based on 1659 Degaroute from 337 Swarco Limburger Lackfabrik, said Jochen Henkels, business director for road marking and flooring at Evonik.

The hard, abrasion-resistant material will also protect the road surface where the rumble strips are applied and the edges formed by the cutting process against premature wear and tear.

A second test track will soon be set up, he said. It takes three to four hours to install the system that will likely cost around €3,500 for each junction.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Vögele's global paving vision
    January 4, 2013
    German paver specialist Vögele is taking a global view of the construction equipment market, with machines developed for very different markets. A prime example of this is with the Dash 3 models now coming to market. The new SUPER 2100-3 paver is also available as the SUPER 2100-3i, a highly sophisticated machine that meets the European emissions requirements while offering high productivity and performance. At the same time, the company is also offering a heavy duty (HD) version of its proven SUPER 1800-2
  • Frost Control gets the picture
    November 20, 2020
    Cameras have been added to the Mini RWIS from Frost Control Systems.
  • Sandvik's 'quiet' quarry solution
    February 6, 2012
    A Hanson quarry in Spain is now benefiting from the installation of lining plates in its crushing plant. The J Riera, Llinar del Valles Quarry in Catalonia is using WT6000 linings supplied by Sandvik in the plant's primary hopper. The material was chosen for this tough application as the quarry company wanted to reduce wear and tear on its equipment and cut noise from the site. The hopper is the main intake for feed material in the plant and the rock is blasted granite, with a high abrasive index and a maxi
  • New traffic solutions for the UK
    July 15, 2015
    Two major developments being introduced will help optimise traffic flow on routes carrying high volumes of vehicles/day. An installation of Flexicon’s flexible conduit will help keep the traffic flowing on one of the busiest sections of the M6 motorway through Birmingham by protecting power and data cabling for overhead gantries and CCTV cameras. On behalf of Highways England, who is implementing a hard shoulder running scheme between junctions 5 and 8, contractor’s Carillion is using the 63mm diameter L