“Braille driving” is a dangerous practice where disabled, night-blind or tired drivers use rumble strips and reflector strikes to stay in their lane. Rumble strips and reflector bumps are designed to help alert drivers to upcoming stops or slowing down. Reflective hits can also inform drivers about the rules of the road.
Many driving instructors stress the importance of “defensive driving,” which means drivers need to be alert and prepared for any emergency. On the other end of the driving spectrum, however, is a dubious practice known as braille driving. Braille driving involves a disabled, night-blind, or tired driver using rumble strips and reflector strikes to stay in a lane. The term “braille driving” was probably inspired by the practice of driving over Botts’ dots, cat’s eyes, or other reflective protrusions in an effort to find the proper lane.
In a perfect world, all drivers would be perfectly sober, well-rested, and competent enough to drive a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, the highway system must also accommodate drivers who operate less than the best.
For example, special grooves called rumble strips are carved into the shoulders of many highways and byways. These rumble tracks create an audible sound whenever a car’s tires roll over them at highway speed. For a tired or impaired person driving in braille, the sound and feel of the rumbling strips under the tires can be a life-saving warning to return to a proper lane.
The other part of the driving by braille equation is reflector bumps embedded in the road. These reflectors may go by different names in different regions, but they will produce a very noticeable sound and vibration if a driver starts driving in braille. These reflectors were originally designed to augment painted stripes on roads, but have found a second use as reminders for troubled or sleepy drivers to return to their lane. By racing between the rumble strips and reflector bumps, a less-than-stellar driver could make it to their destination intact and without tickets.
Drivers in California may be quite familiar with the embedded reflector protrusions known as Botts points. These raised ceramic, rubber or plastic reflectors were originally designed to replace or enhance painted traffic striping, which often became virtually invisible under snow or after years of constant traffic. Originally, the Botts dots were attached to the road surface with steel spikes, but these soon proved very problematic if the reflector became damaged. Anyone driving in braille during those years may have suffered serious tire damage if hit with an exposed spike. Modern Botts points use a special epoxy to hold them together with the surface.
The rumble strips can also alert drivers to upcoming stops or slowing down. Reflective hits can also inform drivers more about the rules of the road. White reflectors mean that the adjacent lane of traffic is moving in the same direction. A yellow reflector means traffic in the adjacent lane is moving in the opposite direction. A series of blue reflectors indicates a nearby fire hydrant, while red reflectors indicate a car is traveling in the wrong direction. These color codes can be very helpful for drivers who feel a questionable need to drive in braille.
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