A Paving Company in Sun Prairie WI may be asked to add speed bumps to a parking lot or private road to encourage drivers to slow down. Is this method really effective or does it mainly serve to annoy drivers? Researchers have looked at the issue and published their thoughts, which can help property owners decide whether to order this extra feature or not.
About Speed Bumps
The small hills in the road are about three inches tall, and the length varies depending on the situation. They are intended to force drivers to slow to 10 or 15 miles per hour to prevent being jostled in the car.
Three Problems
One major problem with speed bumps is that they typically can be avoided once drivers learn the layout of the parking lot and the private road alongside it. They head the vehicle to the furthest end of the lot and pick up the private road there before it connects with the city street, thus avoiding all the paved hills.
In a parking lot, those bumps usually are in a lane alongside a long building like a strip mall. Drivers simply have to move into the main part of the lot to avoid the bumps.
In addition, research has found that traffic speed becomes unpredictable since some drivers don’t bother to slow down. The driver of a small sedan may very well do so, but the person behind the wheel of a heavy-duty pickup truck may just keep going.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that speed bumps are effective at slowing traffic to a certain extent. A paving company in Sun Prairie WI can add these features during repaving or initial asphalt installation if the customer wants them.
Other Features
Another possibility for slowing traffic would be to have technicians from a company such as Tri-County Paving paint some crosswalks instead. Yield signs can be placed at the crosswalks. On a private road, a roundabout or two could be installed. These are all very effective strategies for getting drivers to create a safer environment for pedestrians.
