To discuss possibilities of traffic calming in your area contact your Local Roads Office
The speed and volume of traffic, particularly in residential areas, can lead to accidents.
These accidents usually affect the most vulnerable road users, in particular children, elderly people, pedestrians and cyclists.
What's more, the quality of life for residents can be adversely affected by the fear of excessive traffic speed and by concern for the safety of their families.
Traffic calming measures help to increase road safety. They have a clear, successful record of reducing crashes and casualties. And they do this by:
- reducing speed
- reducing the amount of traffic that is inappropriate for the road
Traffic calming measures reduce vehicle speed but also increase delays. This means that we need to think carefully about where we use traffic calming measures.
The more severe measures (road humps, speed tables) should not generally be used on main routes. For example, where there are high flows of traffic and particularly routes that are predominantly used by the emergency services, buses and HGVs.
We have a policy that helps us use traffic calming measures appropriately and consistently across the region. The policy also helps us to use traffic calming measures in line with Department for Transport guidance.
Traffic calming is the general term we use for a method of reducing speed or volume of traffic. It covers a number of measures, or combination of measures, such as Road Humps, Speed Cushions, Speed Tables, Pinch point, Traffic Islands, Rumble Strips, Chicanes, Mini roundabouts, Gateways, 20mph zones, Signs and Markings.
Road Humps - These are raised sections across the road that all vehicles must pass. Road humps are constructed in a variety of shapes and sizes to cater for different locations and situations. Road humps can only be constructed on roads that have a speed limit of 30mph or less, and have street lighting.
Speed Cushions - These are raised sections of the road, similar to road humps but do not extend across the whole road width. They are designed so that larger vehicles, such as buses and fire engines, can straddle them.
Rumble strips - Rumble strips alert the driver by means of a change in the road surface that sounds and feels different to the normal surface. They are more appropriate as a warning of a specific feature than as a speed reducing measure.
20mph zones - The Government advises that 20 mph Zones should be self-policing. Therefore, it may be necessary to install supporting traffic calming measures to ensure that speeds are kept at, or below, 20 mph.
Signs and Markings - Road signs and markings are used as a means of informing drivers, cyclists and pedestrians of changes to the road layout ahead and the existence of certain restrictions. It is quite common to have electronic part-time 20 mph speed limit signs outside schools that are activated by a time switch. It is also common to have electronic speed limit signs, or warning signs, activated by vehicles travelling at excessive speeds.