Readers, I'm turning to you for help because I am stumped, again.
Bob Enyeart wants to know about something I just can't explain, and neither can the state.
He's curious about all the tire skid marks on the sides of our highways.
"I have noticed but never thought too much about it until my sister visiting from Seattle commented on all the skid marks heading off on the shoulder and beyond on many of our hiways," Enyeart wrote in an inquiry to the Road Runner. "There are scads of screech marks on I -19. Any ideas on why there are so many? I can sort of understand in areas where there are speed reductions or lane restrictions, but many are on clear wide open areas," he said.
Well, the state said it's not exactly sure, either.
"I can't specifically answer why there are so many skid marks on I-19," said Dustin Krugel, state transportation spokesman. But he said the state puts lots of measures in place to try to keep the roads safe.
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Among them, rumble strips to vibrate your car if you drift to the side of the road, he said.
"The 'wake-up grooves' consist of raised or grooved patterns that are installed perpendicular to the direction of travel. Currently, they are usually installed on our state highways wherever there are 4 feet or more at the shoulder, or where there are discernible areas that are prone to accidents," he wrote in response to Enyeart's question.
The state is considering adding those rumble strips to the center of the roads sometime in the future, Krugel said. Their purpose? Letting tired or distracted drivers know they're headed off the road before they're actually crashing.
Like the state, I don't know the culprit for so many skid marks. Is it people swerving off the road to avoid an accident? Semis trying to maneuver their rigs to the side of the road after a tire blowout? Someone who needs a break and nearly missed the emergency pullout on the side of the road?
If you help me come up with some theories, I'll publish them to enlighten all of us.
Send your Road Q questions via email to roadrunner@azstarnet.com or to 4850 S. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ 85714. Please include first and last names.
