Roadside rumble strips coming to M1 in Wollongong urban areas

Transport for NSW wants to hear what Illawarra residents think about its plans to install the noise-making strips - also known as Audio Tactile Line Marking (ATLM) - on the edge of the motorway.

Rumble strips are raised bumps designed to produce vibration and noise inside the cabin of vehicles to alert drowsy drivers if they drift out of their lane.

They are widely used in rural areas but their use in urban residential areas has been questioned.

Transport for NSW said there had been 15 fatigue-related crashes on the M1 Princes Motorway "at this location".

The plan involves rumble strips from Gipps Rd, Gwynneville, all the way to Weir St at Kiama Heights.

They would pass close to houses in urban areas in Gwynneville, Mangerton, Figtree, Dapto, Koonawarra, Flinders, Shell Cove, Kiama Downs, Kiama and Kiama Heights, among others.

Nearby residents have received pamphlets about the consultation and not all are comfortable with the plan.

Keiraville resident Arnold McLean says the noise rumble strips make, particularly when run over by trucks, would affect residents as heavy vehicles pass through the urban areas.

Mr McLean said at the very least, "extreme due diligence" should be done before installing the strips.

"The extent of urban, sporting field spectator, school and tertiary education community dislike and hence backlash could be significant," he said.

Transport for NSW says on its project page that when ATLM was being considered for within 200m of homes, assessments were performed to determine any negative potential noise implications for nearby residents.

"The M1 Princes Motorway had been identified as a target spot for the rumble strip rollout due to its crash history and the significant safety benefits," a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said.

"The rumble strips will be installed offset to the existing line marking on the edge lines and will only produce noise and vibration if a vehicle has already left the travel lane, giving the driver an opportunity to fix their steering.

"Rumble strips are designed to be just loud enough for motorists to hear but not excessively loud. There are noise walls in place along sections of the M1 where residential properties are most likely to be impacted by noise from the motorway."

Mr McLean said ATLM should not be installed within 750m of residential areas or 250m of light vehicle rest areas on highways.

He said he and neighbours were already concerned about the noise made by heavy vehicles, particularly early in the morning, and said he had seen "smart alec" truck drivers running over the strips deliberately to make loud noise near rest stops on highways.

Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson in late April called for public comment on the plan in a Facebook post.

People can register their opinion on the plan via the Have Your Say web page or by email to southprojects@transport.nsw.gov.au