Stripes on the road

[micky]

Driving on narrow roads in Guatemala for the past week, including last night for 40 minutes, at night, I have to say that nothing improves the road more and for less money I'm sure, than painting a yellow stripe down the middle, and even more important, painting a white stripe along the edge.

Driving last night was barely any harder than on a 2-lane road in the States.

They didn't have white side stripes when I was growing up. I don't remember when and where I started to see them. Anyone remember???

Until yesterday, I think, I thought the white stripe was an unnecessary frill, but I see how important it is, especially here where shoulders are usually narrow or non-existent.

[Cindy Hamilton]

Google: "history of edge lines on roads"

[badgolferman]

I think the white stripe at the edge is important for rural roads. The first time I drove in California (80's) I found the reflectors to be very nice, especially at night or if wet.

[micky]

The paint that should be used for both the yellow and the white has some kind of reflective particles in it, aiui.

[Ed P]

Many rural roads in my area have no shoulder so the white line can be important. If you go off, you may go into a ditch. One day, after a heavy rain, I saw a car that went off the road and the water was a bit above the bottom of the windows.

[Scott Lurndal]

I once drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on a dark, winter friday night. They'd just repaved I-15 and the had not yet painted the lane markings. A sudden thunderstorm near the Nevada border resulted in zero visibility and without the lines, one could only follow taillights and hope the leader stayed on the road.

[retired1]

I've heard them called "fog lines". Meant to help driving in foggy weather.

[micky]

Well, you got to get to those tables, come hell or high water.

[Clare Snyder]

You mean the "fog line"??? Arounf heara lot of them are reflective white paint

[Clare Snyder]

The problem up here is they are useless when the road is covered on SNOW

[micky]

That's a good idea.

Another thing here is speed bumps. They have lots of kinds and some really shake up the car, or truck. People slow down to 3mph. Most are painted yellow but the paint fades, especially with people driving over it. I sometimes don't see them. Usually there are 2 or 3, one as you arrive at a busy area and one as you leave, and maybe another.

I've only driven 12 miles in Honduras and only went over maybe 2 speed bumps, maybe the same one twice, but I liked it better. Not a tooth-loosener.

[Scott Lurndal]

Actually, I was headed to a 'pre' wake for a friend who was dying from liver cancer. I don't gamble, but he was already up $20k when I arrived, and won another 9k on $50 video poker just after I arrived (four queens). He did get us all comp'ed into the Desert Inn.

[Bob F]

Another great addition is rumble strips along with the white lines. They probably wake up a lot of sleepy drivers.

[rbowman]

They have an inadvertent problem. The depressions capture runoff which evaporates to create a salt lick. Then the big horn sheep and other animals are lured to their deaths.

[micky]

It is a shame that all those nice things people say about someone are usually after he dies and can't hear them. Or just that that's when people show up, when the dead cannot see them (or so I've heard).

[badgolferman]

The nice things said are for the living, not the dead.