ISSUE: Installation of rumble strips on S.C. roads.

OUR VIEW: Run-off-the-road crashes are big problem here

Motorists are reminded constantly of the dangers of driving under the influence and of reckless driving. Media campaigns spread the important message.

A new effort by the S.C. Department of Transportation is focused on stopping the types of crashes that prove most deadly in South Carolina. They involve vehicles running off the road.

More than half of all fatal crashes in South Carolina involve a vehicle running off the road. A run-off-road crash occurs in South Carolina every 30 minutes on average, and one person dies in one of these crashes every day.

According to Bob Thomas, assistant division administrator of the S.C. Division Office of the Federal Highway Administration, during the last five years, (2004-08), 54 percent of all the fatalities reported in South Carolina involved a roadway departure crash. A total of 2,794 people died in these crashes. “These numbers are why FHWA selected South Carolina to be an ‘opportunity’ state or focus state to reduce roadway departure crashes,” Thomas said. “Your state has received specialized training to help in this regard, and this designation is also one of the reasons that South Carolina received funding for this project.”

Specifically the effort involves installation of rumble strips that alert people when they are in danger of leaving the roadway.

South Carolina Secretary of Transportation H.B. “Buck” Limehouse Jr. said SCDOT’s research has found that one of the most cost-effective traffic control devices to reduce run-off-road crashes is rumble strips. Rumble strips are raised or grooved patterns in the pavement. SCDOT also uses profile thermoplastic pavement markings. Drive over either one of these types of rumble strips and a car will vibrate and the tires will become noisy.

“Rumble strips are alarms to help drivers recognize, react and recover if they drive out of their lane. Rumble strips can cut the number of run-off-road crashes by up to 80 percent. That’s why SCDOT is adding them to roads across the state,” Limehouse said.

SCDOT has already installed or has awarded projects to install rumble strips on four-lane divided highways and on secondary and primary highways across the state. Specifically, 600 miles of rumble strips on interstates will be installed, and SCDOT has received bids to install 1,000 miles of rumble strips on primary routes. A total of 822 miles of profile thermoplastic edge line markings will be installed.

As important as the devices can be, it is equally critical that drivers learn how to react when they are alerted of the danger of running off the road.

“When you see rumble strips on the highways, recognize the rumble strip is there for your safety, react calmly if you leave the travel lane and encounter a rumble strip. Stay off the gas and off the brake. And recover safely,” Limehouse said.

In a rural county such as Orangeburg, with the most interstate miles in South Carolina and a wealth of rural roads, the death toll on the highways runs high. Running of the road is a common denominator in many crashes. Installing the warning devices can be a major help in preventing tragedy, particularly if people know what to do after they get the warning.

Visit www.scdot.org for informtion on avoiding run-of-the-road crashes.

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