safety steps

There you are cruising the streets at a relatively moderate speed when suddenly your vehicle starts to vibrate. It’s hard for that sound not to catch your attention.

You begin to slow down, as you rightfully should, wondering what’s wrong with your vehicle and how much money you’d have to pay upfront to the mechanic whose prices always seem to skyrocket without notice, especially over the holidays.

Before you could complete your thought about how the mechanic stiffed you on Easter weekend, the vibrations and noises have vanished.

You glance in your rearview and side mirrors, only to see a set of yellow strips fading into the distance. These unexpected speed bumps slowly disappear from view.

Rumble Strips as they are internationally known are used as road safety features. They are placed at the side of, or across a lane, to create both driver and passenger vibrations. They increase road noise as a vehicle passes over them.

They are intended to warn drivers about pending dangers. It is a warning that adjustments to your driving should be made immediately, such as slowing down or it could be you’re driving too close to the edge of the road.

These safety features can definitely assist in decreasing the number of road collisions that are encountered on our roadways even if some drivers may be quick to ignore them.

With each vibration and annoying sound, they serve as a reminder for drivers to remain vigilant on the road and to drive with due care and attention.

It’s an uncomfortable feeling but the fact remains that at times drivers need to be reminded of the speed at which they are travelling or to be prompted to remain focused on the road as the distractions while driving could be many.

Some of these strips can be found around sensitive areas such as schools, where pedestrian traffic could be high or where danger is imminent. They could also be found as you approach some of the freshly constructed roundabouts on the newly refurbished highways.

Road Safety continues to be a daily hot button topic discussed at all levels of society and on many social and traditional media platforms.

So much so, that the disturbing happenings and trends on the roadways have summoned the attention of the Cabinet and have formed part of their weekly discourse.

The Cabinet has reminded drivers of the debilitating consequences of collisions which could lead to serious injuries or death, many of which are the result of excessive speeding.

Furthermore, speeding is an offence under the Vehicles and Road Traffic laws of Antigua and Barbuda.

So, while some drivers may not be pleased with the sudden placement and positioning of these safety devices, we can all agree that safety must take priority at all times.

The ever-occurring waves of collisions, dangerous and reckless driving that occur on the nation’s highways and byways is alarming, to say the least.

Some, unfortunately, have led to road fatalities.

We all have a part to play to ensure that the roads we drive on are safe for all road users including animals. The vibrations and rumble should be a reminder not to gamble with your life and that of others.

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