What is a Traffic Calmer?

A traffic calmer is a device that ensures that the driving behaviour of drivers is kept to a safe, legal and orderly manner. Using a traffic calming device in order to create the desired calming effect can include the combination of (mainly) physical measures which will reduce the negative effects of bad motor vehicle usage.

Excessive speed and reckless driving jeopardizes the safety of other members of the public and so traffic and roading engineers have designed a number of specific traffic calming devices to combat unwanted driving behaviour.

Speed bumps are traffic calmers that offer a raised bump in the road which causes significant driver discomfort at typical residential speeds and generally result in vehicles slowing to 5 mph or less at the bump. Or else the driver gets his/her teeth rattled.

Speed humps are another traffic calmer system which provide an extended travel length creating some driver discomfort and result in most vehicles slowing to 15 mph or less at each hump and 25 to 30 mph between properly spaced humps in a system. At high speeds, the hump can jolt the vehicles suspension, its occupants and luggage.

Other traffic calmer devices include the narrowing of a roadway to deter speeding and reckless driving. The erection of side barriers, large signs, and even painting lines on the road also provide a positive change to undesirable driving behaviour.

Whether the traffic calmer is a structure or whether it is a painted line, the device used will depend upon how severely the traffic flow needs to be slowed down and kept moving in an orderly and safe fashion.

A traffic calmer not only alters the driver’s behaviour, it can also create a safer environment for other drivers travelling on the same piece of road, and a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is a Traffic Calmer?’!

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