Road Markings and Signage - Speed Humps

Description

 

Speed humps are physical measures built into the carriageway that make it unpleasant for the occupants of motor vehicles when driven over at speed. They are used in traffic calming schemes where the objective is to encourage drivers to slow down and drive at speeds less than 30 mph.

Speed humps are normally placed on roads where current vehicle speeds are regarded as too high and have a history of injury.

 

Eligibility

 

Anyone can suggest that a road needs speed humps and the Council will assess the relative need for, and benefits from implementing them. However, major traffic routes are unlikely to be considered as suitable for speed humps.

 

Procedure

 

It is normal to assess the need for speed humps in relation to the injury accident history and actual vehicle speeds.

If you are aware that there have been injury accidents where excess speed has been a contributory factor then the Council will look at the injury accident records provided by the police.

If that shows some accidents were considered speed related speed checks will normally be made to quantify the extent of the percieved problem.

Where the accidents and speed checks show that these are higher than would be expected for that type of road then feasibility studies will be carried out to see if engineering measures such as speed humps would be appropriate.

If it is considered feasible then funding will be sought and a place in a scheme programme identified.

Some schemes will be carried out as area wide schemes as part of wider objectives of the Council but these will be lead by Council policy not individual requests.

 

Helplines

 

Highways and Engineering, General Enquiries, telephone: 01226 773555.

 

Opening Times/Locations

How the customer can help

 

Simply exceeding the speed limit is a police enforcement issue. It is only where excess or inappropriate speed has caused collisions resulting in personal injury that an individual scheme of road humps is likely to be progressed. When requesting humps, therefore, please try to relate this to actual accident statistics allied to excess speed.

 

 

Leaflets

 

Traffic Advisory Leaflets 5/01:

Traffic Calming Bibliography, TAL 7/96

Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1996, TAL 1/98

Speed Cushion Schemes

 

Distribution Points

 

The Department for Transport, Traffic Advisory Unit,

e-mail: tal@dft.gsi.gov.uk

 

Legislation

 

Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1996

Highways Act 1980

 

Response Times/Next Steps

 

When a request is received it will be assessed in respect of accidents and excess speed.

If both of the above are present then a feasibility study to determine the possibility of treating the problem with speed humps will be carried out.

If this study shows that speed humps are a suitable form of treatment then funding will be sought from Council budgets and a place determined in a future construction programme.

After it's place is confirmed this will determine the likely start date for consultations, design and eventual construction.

This process means that individually requested speed humps schemes have to be seen as medium to long term proposals that will take many months before completion.

 

 

Related Links:

• Department for Transport Website

Last modified on 16/9/2008