Are Rubber Speed Humps an Effective Option?

Speed is often reported to be a primary factor in the majority of vehicle accidents. Excessive speed can increase the risk and potential severity of an accident. While there are a number of traffic calming measures that can be implemented, speed bumps or humps tend to be the popular choice. The primary reason for this is unlike roundabouts, cameras or other measures, speed bumps and humps offer a low cost solution with great ease of installation. However, you may wonder if they are actually all that effective.

Many drivers assume that these similarly named items are one in the same, but this is not the case. Both types of device use a rise of up to eight centimetres to force drivers into reducing their speed, but speed bumps tend to be more abrupt. A speed bump forces a serious reduction in speed with the front wheels of the vehicle passing over the bump before the rear wheels reach it. This effectively means that a passing vehicle experiences two bumps, forcing the driver to slow almost to a stop to comfortably maneuver over the obstacle.

Speed humps tend to be more modular and can span the whole width of the road. This means that there is less of a jolt as vehicles pass. A vehicle can safely maintain a speed of up to approximately thirty kilometres an hour when driving over a hump. This means that they can provide an effective traffic calming measure on local roads where lower speeds are preferred without the need for full stops.

Speed humps have been shown to create a reduction in speed of approximately 40 percent, deterring excessive speed and reducing the number and severity of accidents. However, while they have been proven to make local areas safer and reduce vehicle speeds, speed humps are not always welcomed. There is criticism that they can increase traffic noise, increase emergency services response times and cause damage to passing vehicles. To mitigate this, there are several factors that should be considered before installation. The primary factor is the material used. Rubber speed humps tend to be preferred as rubber will compress under impact reducing the risk of damage to vehicles. While metal or concrete speed humps can cause damage to the undercarriage of a vehicle, rubber is unlikely to cause any damage even if the vehicle fails to slow down adequately.

If you would like to find out more about the benefits of installing speed humps, Perth property owners should speak to us. We offer a wide selection of traffic calming tools including rubber speed humps. The Image Extra team would be happy to discuss your requirements and offer advice on the solution best suited to your needs.