Could this simple idea save lives?

Val Polachak of Henrietta, like many, was saddened when learning of the tragic accident which claimed the lives of an entire family from Batavia this past Sunday.

The Boyce Family, a Father, Mother, and their two young sons all died when the family vehicle strayed across the center line of NYS Rt. 63 in East Bethany and into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer.
 
Polachek, a former EMT, has seen her share of tragedies on the road and a recent trip with her own family to Arizona has convinced her that there's a simple measure New York State could take to protect lives.

It has to do with rumble strips, the gouges carved along many interstate highways which alert drivers with a loud vibration when they drift too far from the assigned driving lanes.

Polachek noticed that in Arizona such rumble strips are also carved down the middle of two lane highways, where the majority of fatal accidents occur.

While there's no way of knowing if something like that could have saved the Boyce family, Polachek wonders if it could have, and moreover if it could save other lives in the future.

"How hard could it be for our state to do this?" she wondered. "I'm guessing it really wouldn't cost that much."

New York State has actually considered the idea, but for a variety of reasons doesn't put rumble strips down the center of its two lane highways.

Watch our entire story to find out what those reasons are, by clicking on the video icon.