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Traffic Calming Devices →
Vertical Speed Control Devices |
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| Speed Humps |
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| What are Speed Humps?
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How are Speed Humps designed?
- Speed humps are generally 3 to 6 meters in length,
80 millimeters
high, and extend across both lanes of travel. The desired design speed
determines the dimensions of the speed hump.
- Speed humps usually have a taper and space on each side by the curb to
allow for drainage, but not wide enough for motorists to cross the hump
with one wheel in the gutter.
- The most popular shape of speed hump is
the sinusoidal profile known also as the Watts profile. Other shapes: Circular & Parabolic.
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Where are Speed Humps placed and how much are they?
- Speed humps are usually used at mid-block locations.
- Ideal for residential applications.
- They are normally placed in a series, with a distance of about 100 to
200 meters between humps.
- Installation costs for speed humps are between $1,000 and $1,500,
depending on the width of the road.
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
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- Low cost
- Effective in reducing vehicle speed
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- Fire trucks experience an approximate delay of 3 to 5 seconds per
hump.
- Ambulances with patients can experience up to 10 second delays per
hump.
- Potential slight increase in road noise
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Speed Hump Issues & Comments
- Difficult to construct accurately. It is suggested that the
installation be monitored to ensure the installed hump corresponds
with the design specifications. The height and curvature of the hump
greatly affect its performance.
- A speed HUMP is not a speed BUMP for a few reasons:
- Speed humps are much longer than speed bumps.
- Speed bumps produce the greatest driver discomfort at low speeds; at
higher speeds the suspension is able to absorb the impact before the
body of the car reacts.
- A speed hump has a design speed greater than a speed bump. The speed
bump is commonly employed in parking lots where speeds are very low,
while a speed hump is used on a roadway with the intention of keeping
vehicles at a safe, constant traveling speed.
- According to traffic engineers and planners, plow and street cleaning
vehicles should not be affected by speed humps if properly designed.
- Speed humps work well when installed in conjunction with necking
measures.
- Considerable attention should be given to aesthetics when designing
speed humps.
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