State of rumble strips in three Chennai roads

Rumble strips rattle not just wheels but also motorcyclists’ spine. Indian Road Congress does not prescribe rumble strips for city roads where the volume of vehicles keeps a check on their speed.

The rumble strips on Taramani Link Road (for traffic towards OMR), just after the American School campus, have the look of a bone chomped on by a pup with edgy teeth.

Scraps of the rumble strips are being moved out of place by rolling wheels. These rumble strips’ days are numbered. Traffic planners can make those days shorter still by removing whatever remains of the rumble strips — glaringly non-performing now — and construct a speed breaker with sufficient markings. Vehicles do move at a clip at most hours of the day and night on that section of Taramani Link Road, necessitating a speed breaker.

The role of rumble strips on roads within city limits is open to discussion. In recent times, road safety advocates across Indian cities are highlighting the “aftershock” of the vibration-and-sound-making rumble strips.

These activists point out these rumble strips rattle not just wheels but also motorcyclists’ spine. Besides, they argue, the Indian Road Congress does not prescribe rumble strips for city roads where the volume of vehicles keeps a check on their speed.

Rice Mill Road in Jalladianpet sports rumble strips a short distance ahead of the point where it meets Velachery Main Road. These rumble strips are out of place, not just due to the fact that presence of rumble strips on roads well within city limits can be questioned. For the volume of vehicles it takes in, this road is considerably narrow and vehicular movement is often up against “blocks” caused by oncoming traffic. Rumble strips are clearly not needed on account of this scenario too. They achieve little more than placing an unnecessary stress on motorcyclists. A speed breaker will do and is a better option.

Broken-down rumble strips mark various sections of IAF Road in East Tambaram. The rumble strips on IAF Road — near Velachery Main Road, Heber gate entrance of Madras Christian College and Professor Colony — are only barely holding on to the road, with many pieces missing.

These rumble strips are hardly effective in reining in fast-moving traffic, a feature of IAF Road.