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40 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 7, 2004 Since You Asked White line became standard in 1970s Do you know who thought up the white lines that edge our highways? They are a godsend. I am in my 70s and I do more than average night driving in the mountains (for people my age.) Every trip I make at night, I bless the person who gave us the white line. — Millie W., Central Point Jay Remy, spokesman for the highway division of the Oregon Department of Transportation, says you’re not the only one who blesses that line, Millie. But Remy is unsure of the exact name of the person to whom you should express your blessings. "It was probably some traffic engineer," says Remy. Advertisement The "white on the right — yellow on the left" lines became a national standard sometime during the 1970s, says Remy. Traveling down a two-lane roadway in thick fog, driving rain or pitch-black darkness, the two stripes give drivers reflective color-coded linear locators to keep them on the straight and narrow. "If you see the white line on your left, you need to get back on the road," said Remy. The system was probably test driven in states first, says Remy. Then, as it became clear the system was helping drivers stay safe, it was incorporated by more states. Eventually, it became federal law, he says. "(The idea) has probably been around since the ’40’s or ’50’s," says Remy. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities