On this episode of Our American Stories, every day, we trust our lives to a few thin lines of paint. But the open road used to be the Wild West for most motorists. Drivers relied on instinct to stay in their lanes—and many didn’t. Accidents piled up until one motorist decided to paint a line down the middle of a Michigan road. That single act gave birth to the modern centerline—the thin stripe that turned chaos into order. Over time, it evolved into the pavement markings and road striping systems that shape how traffic moves today. Here’s our regular contributor, The History Guy, with the story.

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<p>On this episode of Our American Stories, every day, we trust our lives to a few thin lines of paint. But the open road used to be the Wild West for most motorists. Drivers relied on instinct to stay in their lanes&mdash;and many didn&rsquo;t. Accidents piled up until one motorist decided to paint a line down the middle of a Michigan road. That single act gave birth to the modern centerline&mdash;the thin stripe that turned chaos into order. Over time, it evolved into the pavement markings and road striping systems that shape how traffic moves today. Here&rsquo;s our regular contributor, The History Guy, with the story.</p>
<p>Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a></p>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Centerline: How a Stripe of Paint Saved the American Road

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4f0b3090-77d2-4da5-b6fa-b37e01418f49/transcript

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