It’s back to school for many of us and a busy time for everyone. Even people who don’t encounter back-to-school fever will see its effects on the roads as rush hour gets busier. Safety may not be the primary concern, but it is more important than ever to make safety, especially outside of schools, a priority. Congested roads and frustrated drivers can contribute to increased hazards around school roads at a time when it is even more important to make them safer for children and other pedestrians. Fortunately, speed humps may be at least one possible solution to this problem.
Why install speed humps in schools?
To prevent accidents and collisions.
Speed bumps can reduce the speed of cars by up to 5 km/h (3 mph). This reduction in speed gives drivers more time to react to hazards, whether cyclists and pedestrians or even other vehicles. Lower speeds mean that drivers have more time to detect hazards and react accordingly to avoid accidents or collisions.
Reducing risk and harm
Of course, even at low speeds accidents are likely to occur, but speed bumps can also help. Reduced speed also means reduced braking distance and ultimately reduced energy transfer in the event of an impact. In the unfortunate event that a vehicle is involved in an accident with a pedestrian or other vehicle, the slower speed imposed by speed humps will significantly reduce the risk and harm to any person and vehicle involved.
Warn drivers to drive carefully
With their black and yellow colors and bright cat’s eyes, speed bumps are a visual warning to drivers to drive carefully. For those who don’t directly use the school, speed bumps can inform them not only to reduce their speed, but also to be more alert to hazards and pay attention to their driving in general.
Help reduce traffic
Traffic congestion can be a real problem around school zones and a constant frustration for motorists, but speed bumps can ease traffic on these busy roads in several ways. First, it ensures that cars move at a steady speed. Then, when cars slow to a crawl, stops and starts are less frequent, and fast drivers brake hard for others who have to drop off and pick up or vice versa.
In addition, speed bumps are a real deterrent for many drivers who don’t like to control their speed. This means that if you place speed bumps outside your school, drivers who don’t need to use them to find alternate routes can alleviate traffic in the area.