A closer look
It’s a deceptively simple invention: carve a series of loud, violently bumpy corrugations into the asphalt on the edge of the highway. When an exhausted truck driver drifts over the white line, the tires hit the grooves and generate a jarring, deafening vibration directly into the steering column. It is essentially a terrifying mechanical alarm clock that jolts you awake right before you plunge into a ditch. Since their widespread implementation, these sonic bumps have reduced run-off-road fatalities by over 40%.
