That fading feeling. Bulky eyelids give way to your body sulking into a welcoming drivers seat. Proper 10 and 2 grips have rescinded down to a lazy one-handed fiver. Your chin slowly dips as your car and concentration simultaneously drift away.
Wham!!!
The overwhelming sound of a gatling gun pushing through rounds of rusty ammunition fills the cabin space. You quickly readjust your vehicle back between the lines and off the rumble strips of the highway. As you catch your breath, you’re reminded that even the most well-conditioned weekend warrior can fall victim to exhaustion’s sleeper-hold.
You eye the next exit to rest and recharge the batteries as you adjust to your new-found level of alertness.
We call them rumble strips, sleeper lines, and they even come in musical varieties. What a great addition to the roadside to help decrease fatal accidents.
What does this say about ingenuity? After all, we have the technology to install eye-tracking cameras that auto-trigger a vibration as your concentration wanes. But little dents in the side of the road that wait patiently for your drifting vehicle work best.
Ingenuity is a beautiful thing. It requires thinking outside of the box but in a practical matter. Look too far down the road and you’ll possibly miss the solution lying next to you. Rumble strips didn’t just appear one day, it started with a simple idea that hitched a ride with a courageous individual. Someone who was willing to speak up.
The next rumble strip idea is out there waiting to be claimed. Chances are it won’t be claimed by somebody with a Ph. D.
Speak up. Lives might depend on it.
Photo credit: John Russell
