An Evaluation of School Zone Traffic Control Strategies conducted a comprehensive review of related transportation studies to provide insight on best practices for school zone traffic safety. The study revealed that the presence of radar speed signs not only decreased speeding, but also changed driver behavior which led to an overall increase in safety throughout the school zone.
Industry Insights
First Responders Raise Alarm Over Speed Humps
Before the turn of the 21st century, speed humps were the go-to traffic calming solution for communities everywhere. However, much has been learned since then, and first responders are voicing their opposition to these disruptive devices.
Community says NO to permanent speed humps after temporary trial period
After living with temporary speed humps for a year, one community said “no” to a permanent installation. Council members in Peters Township, Pa. recently rejected a traffic calming plan to install two permanent speed humps at a residential intersection.
NTSB: “Speeding is an underappreciated problem”
In a recently released safety study, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wrote, “Although speeding is one of the most common factors in motor vehicle crashes in the US, it is an underappreciated problem, involved in about 10,000 highway fatalities each year.“
A Traffic-Calming Solution to Satisfy Everyone
SeaTac residents living on 51st Street are asking the City Council to address their concerns over increased street traffic volumes and speeding. The strained police force acknowledged that they do not have the staff available to write the necessary tickets and suggested speed bumps. The Deputy Mayor would like an alternative to “drastic” speed bumps because of the hazards they pose for emergency vehicles.
Fire Department Opposes Speed Humps and Raised Crosswalks
The Transportation Board for the town of Brookline, Massachusetts developed a plan to address traffic concerns on a primary roadway by installing eight raised crosswalks and two speed humps. Babcock Street connects many Brookline communities and serves as an initial fire department route more than a thousand times a year.
Speed Humps: Dangerous for Cyclists and Costly for Citizens
While speed humps have a litany of faults, most agree that their primary purpose is to protect the people outside of the moving automobiles: pedestrians, children and cyclists. Unfortunately, bicycles and speed humps don’t always go together. For cyclists, speed humps are jarring and potentially dangerous.
Distracted Drivers Likely to Speed
In Warrick County, Indiana, state police are concerned with the number of distracted drivers speeding along State Road 261. There are five schools in this area. Unfortunately, it is not unusual for the speeders to be distracted by their phone or some other diversion.
Understanding Speed Discrepancies: 4 Factors Affecting Radar-Captured Driver Speeds
Radarsign driver feedback signs use a small FCC-approved radar to measure how fast cars are traveling, so it’s not uncommon for us to field questions like this: “Why does the speed being flashed by the sign not match the speedometer speed?” The issue is complicated by the fact that there are so many different devices that can be used to measure speed today.
Speed Humps Accelerate Air Pollution
Mexico City plans to remove up to 30,000 speed bumps, or topes as they are called. This is part of a move to make traffic flow more efficiently and to improve air quality.