Rumble strips to help Tas road gang safety

The Tasmanian government will use rumble strips for the first time to encourage drivers to slow down in highway roadworks zones after a series of near misses involving road gang members.

The trial will start on Wednesday at sites along the state's major Midland Highway, aiming to serve as an added reminder to road users that workers are nearby and to be mindful of their safety.

"Just this year, (workers) have experienced a number of potentially serious incidents at our work sites and we knew that more needed to be done to improve safety and reduce the risk of driver error," head of contractor Stornoway Tim Gardner said.

If successful, the trial will lead to further and more widespread use of rumble strips in roadworks zones, as they already are in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.