Does any sort of traffic calming work?
Discussion
As I watched some bellend revving and popping a generic fartbox between speedbumps the other night I was thinking how this was a terrible unintended consequence of traffic calming on a residential road... Which made me wonder "what would have worked better here?"
I don't think I've ever seen a traffic calming measure that doesn't result in the bellends finding some other way to be a knob, e.g. those gates where one direction has priority seems to cause conflict between those playing pushy pushy and those who wish to scream "it's my right of way!" impotently into the aether.
Maybe I have seen good traffic calming and the key to it being good was that I didn't notice?
So, what actually works as traffic calming, without resulting in some unplanned knobbishness from road users?
I don't think I've ever seen a traffic calming measure that doesn't result in the bellends finding some other way to be a knob, e.g. those gates where one direction has priority seems to cause conflict between those playing pushy pushy and those who wish to scream "it's my right of way!" impotently into the aether.
Maybe I have seen good traffic calming and the key to it being good was that I didn't notice?
So, what actually works as traffic calming, without resulting in some unplanned knobbishness from road users?
donkmeister said:
As I watched some bellend revving and popping a generic fartbox between speedbumps the other night I was thinking how this was a terrible unintended consequence of traffic calming on a residential road... Which made me wonder "what would have worked better here?"
I don't think I've ever seen a traffic calming measure that doesn't result in the bellends finding some other way to be a knob, e.g. those gates where one direction has priority seems to cause conflict between those playing pushy pushy and those who wish to scream "it's my right of way!" impotently into the aether.
Maybe I have seen good traffic calming and the key to it being good was that I didn't notice?
So, what actually works as traffic calming, without resulting in some unplanned knobbishness from road users?
Early, and continued, education in how to behave correctly within a society - Courtesy over impatience.I don't think I've ever seen a traffic calming measure that doesn't result in the bellends finding some other way to be a knob, e.g. those gates where one direction has priority seems to cause conflict between those playing pushy pushy and those who wish to scream "it's my right of way!" impotently into the aether.
Maybe I have seen good traffic calming and the key to it being good was that I didn't notice?
So, what actually works as traffic calming, without resulting in some unplanned knobbishness from road users?
You can get inflatable speed bumps.
Drive over them at say 10mph and a valve lets the air straight out so you feel nothing.
But the faster you go, the less air is able to be let out so you get a violent jolt.
I thought that was a good idea, I've seen them in a site equipment catalogue some time ago but not in use.
Drive over them at say 10mph and a valve lets the air straight out so you feel nothing.
But the faster you go, the less air is able to be let out so you get a violent jolt.
I thought that was a good idea, I've seen them in a site equipment catalogue some time ago but not in use.
Our street is a series of constant radius bends and that does keeps speeds fairly reasonable.
With the exception of our local DPD driver.
Speed bumps are moronic.
They must have cost us billions and billions of additional litres of petrol and diesel since their inception. Not to mention the additional PM10 and below they'll be responsible for directly where you don't want them.
With the exception of our local DPD driver.
Speed bumps are moronic.
They must have cost us billions and billions of additional litres of petrol and diesel since their inception. Not to mention the additional PM10 and below they'll be responsible for directly where you don't want them.
When I was in Portugal some years back they had traffic lights a few hundred metres into many villages. If you were detected over the speed limit entereing the village they went red. If you were within the speed limit they stayed green. I thought it was a nice idea. Drive quick int he village and you'll take longer to get through it. I'd rather that than speed bumps.
The issue is with the 5th word on the post. Plenty of other things can be done, but most will be highly unacceptable to the PH collective, GPS vehicle speed limits spring to mind.
So either we make this style of driving as unacceptable as say drink driving or we live with it. Question is, would this type of driver stick to the limit if humps weren't in place?
So either we make this style of driving as unacceptable as say drink driving or we live with it. Question is, would this type of driver stick to the limit if humps weren't in place?
REDGTA said:
I recall a few years back before they wrecked the M4 turning it into a 'smart' motorway, a blonde woman had broken down in a red Ferrari and did the right thing and got herself over the armco for safety. She backed the traffic up for miles...
Ok what am I missing? Or am I due a parrot?
mcpoot said:
REDGTA said:
I recall a few years back before they wrecked the M4 turning it into a 'smart' motorway, a blonde woman had broken down in a red Ferrari and did the right thing and got herself over the armco for safety. She backed the traffic up for miles...
Ok what am I missing? Or am I due a parrot?
Red Ferrari (nice)
parked on the hard shoulder not blocking any lanes = good
yet all the traffic slowed
There are some people that cannot be stopped, no matter what.
I have witnessed a LR Discovery actually get air over a speed bump, both front wheels off the ground because they had hit it so hard.
Similarly, for noise there are several locals who you can hear from over half a mile away due to their exhaust/revs. Nothing wrong with a nice sounding car, but they would likely be stopped from a racetrack due to exceeding the noise limits.
With an EV the danger is you don't realise just how fast they are going. We have a quarter mile straight nearby on a 30mph limit, the noisy ones are doing speeds approaching 100mph but at least you can hear them and know to beware.
An EV can hit the same speed or higher, and you would never know until it was upon you so the loud noise at least is a warning.
There is a similar 1/4 mile road where they have installed chicanes, it's actually more dangerous as people play chicken driving head on despite the priority sign for traffic coming up the hill.
I have witnessed a LR Discovery actually get air over a speed bump, both front wheels off the ground because they had hit it so hard.
Similarly, for noise there are several locals who you can hear from over half a mile away due to their exhaust/revs. Nothing wrong with a nice sounding car, but they would likely be stopped from a racetrack due to exceeding the noise limits.
With an EV the danger is you don't realise just how fast they are going. We have a quarter mile straight nearby on a 30mph limit, the noisy ones are doing speeds approaching 100mph but at least you can hear them and know to beware.
An EV can hit the same speed or higher, and you would never know until it was upon you so the loud noise at least is a warning.
There is a similar 1/4 mile road where they have installed chicanes, it's actually more dangerous as people play chicken driving head on despite the priority sign for traffic coming up the hill.
Monkeylegend said:
The illuminating signs that tell you how fast you are travelling in either green or red if you are going too fast work very well around my neck of the woods.
Generally people will slow down if they are flashed red especially if there are other cars behind them. Cheap but effective.
They put one of these on a site where I used to work (15mph limit) and someone spotted that the display had 3 digits and the competition started to see who could light all three digits.Generally people will slow down if they are flashed red especially if there are other cars behind them. Cheap but effective.
Think it lasted a week before they removed it…
Chris
ScoobyChris said:
Monkeylegend said:
The illuminating signs that tell you how fast you are travelling in either green or red if you are going too fast work very well around my neck of the woods.
Generally people will slow down if they are flashed red especially if there are other cars behind them. Cheap but effective.
They put one of these on a site where I used to work (15mph limit) and someone spotted that the display had 3 digits and the competition started to see who could light all three digits.Generally people will slow down if they are flashed red especially if there are other cars behind them. Cheap but effective.
Think it lasted a week before they removed it…
Chris
Countdown said:
perhaps the solution could be to have a hidden fixed speed camera immediately behind it. Act like a knob and get 3 points
It was on a private site run by a technology company so no points or prosecutions available. Not even sure driving like a knob broke any terms of the employment contract!Chris
Best traffic calming I saw was travelling in Asia. Don’t have a pavement, have shops, bars spilling onto the street. Don’t have any road markings. You need decent pedestrian density though. I saw a few cars nudge people, but mostly the pedestrian would swear and just walk off because the speeds were slow.
Taking away rules and order and introducing chaos makes people slow down.
Taking away rules and order and introducing chaos makes people slow down.
wyson said:
Best traffic calming I saw was travelling in Asia. Don’t have a pavement, have shops, bars spilling onto the street. Don’t have any road markings. You need decent pedestrian density though. I saw a few cars nudge people, but mostly the pedestrian would swear and just walk off because the speeds were slow.
Taking away rules and order and introducing chaos makes people slow down.
That does happen from time to time, removing centre lines can work for example. Taking away rules and order and introducing chaos makes people slow down.
Shard space scheme like Ashford town center or exhibition row often come in for a lot of criticism that they are unsafe.
Ashford:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.1466629,0.870390...
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