The best traffic calming strategies in Europe!

Are you a state officer worried about traffic accidents and mishaps in your municipality? It can be really painful to read accident news in your area every now and then.

Moreover, the wide options of traffic calming strategies make it difficult to decide which one to install. Each of them serves a specific purpose for different types of vehicles.

However, if you’re worried about the irregular traffic flow in your municipality, you have to take the first step and install an appropriate traffic calming device.

They can reduce traffic accidents by up to 44% and improve pedestrian safety. You must be acquainted with the most common traffic measures, i.e., speed bumps, and speed cushions. Let’s see the list of Europe’s most common traffic devices.

The top 20 traffic calming devices in Europe!

If you’re wondering why traffic calming devices only consist of traditional road bumps, you’re living in the wrong world.

Transportation engineers have revolutionized traffic calming methods. There are horizontal deflections, vertical methods, and road structure methods. All of these aim to reduce traffic.

Let’s quickly review the top 20 traffic-calming devices.

• Road bumps and ramps: These are the most common vertical deflections, which are quite high and wider than others. They can work aggressively at reducing traffic speed and ensuring road traffic safety.

• Road humps: These are another variant of speed bumps that are generally narrower and of low height.

• Speed cushions are another form of vertical deflector installed in sections so emergency vehicles can pass without interruption. However, you should learn about the right speed cushion for your area.

• Speed Tables: They are similar to speed cushions, and they are quite long in length. Having plenty of gaps, they are suitable for controlling huge traffic volumes.

• Rubber Vertical Deflectors: Previously, speed bumps made with asphalt were growing in the market. But rubber speed bumps and speed cushions are becoming popular because they cause less damage to vehicles.

• Diagonal Parking: This is another awareness tool that can caution drivers to drive slowly and increase the parking space.

• One-way to the two-way street is another road design that can reduce traffic speed and increase accessibility for drivers.

• Widening sidewalks can increase the area for pedestrians to walk and reduce the road lanes, reducing traffic speed and increasing drivers’ caution.

• Traffic lanes: These can be turned into bicycle lanes to provide easy accessibility for bicyclists.

• Street lanes can be narrowed to create more space for pedestrians.

• Bollards and trees: These deflections can further help in reducing the street lanes, which can discourage drivers.

• Chicanes: These are horizontal deflection tools that can create disruption in normal road patterns and reduce speed.

• Roundabouts: Another important horizontal deflector that involves creating a round section in the middle of roads, ensuring steady traffic flow.

• Traffic circles are generally mini-roundabouts that can slow traffic from a wider street into a smaller street.

• Raised Medians: These are sections in the middle of a roadway that provide an area for landscaping and reduce the lanes for steady traffic flow.

• Tight Corner Curbs: A vehicle will go faster if the radius of a curve is longer. Therefore, reducing the radius can reduce the speed and improve pedestrians’ safety.

• Diverters: They can create a different section and restrict entrances for a particular direction.

• Rumble Strips: These provide visual awareness to drivers to reduce the speed in these areas.

• Speed Camera: It’s another way for traffic enforcement and control. Police enforcement can charge recklessly with fines and tickets to avoid speeding.

• Gateways: If there’s a restricted zone, society, or place, then gateways can restrict complete traffic, and only the identified personnel can be allowed.

Learn more: The top 20 traffic calming devices in Europe!

Are speed cushions the only way to calm traffic?

Speed cushions are popular methods but not the only way to curb traffic. Many transportation companies and engineers are developing unique speed cushion brands that can work wonders.

However, they can work in some places, while they can be completely ineffective in several places. As seen above, they’re not the only way to calm traffic. Hence, they can be used with other solutions to ensure maximum effectiveness.

One of the major advantages of speed cushions is that they can’t disrupt the traffic flow for emergency vehicles. Since they are installed in gaps, the gaps can cater to the wide wheelbases of emergency vehicles. Similarly, buses and bicycles can even cross without any disruption.

Moreover, there is no drainage problem if the material of the speed cushion is rubber. Rubber can deal with drainage problems effectively. Also, they’re easy to install, and you’ll get a complete toolkit for easy installation.

However, they are much more suited for public areas. Hence, not everyone can install them. Secondly, cars may drive fast over them since they are not really high. Fortunately, according to one report, they can still reduce accidents by up to 61%.

Besides, there can be heavy traffic noise due to vibrations from the dynamic speed of the vehicle. It can disrupt residential areas. Therefore, good quality rubber can lessen this adversity.

Learn more: Are speed cushions the only way to calm traffic?

What are the best traffic calming measures for schools?

You must have noticed the increased traffic flow near school premises when you go to drop off your child. The slow traffic is insane, so it is important to develop calming traffic measures for schools.

Since it’s a highly public area, like parking lots, speed cushions can be an appropriate solution. However, you should consider the cost of a speed cushion. They can be pretty expensive and can cost you plenty of dollars.

Besides speed cushions, there can be other traffic calming ways, including:

• Under 20 miles per hour (mph), speed limit signs that can raise awareness.

• Road bumps with speed cushions can caution drivers.

• Roundabouts for easy traffic flows.

• Chicanes, bollards, and trees can create disruption on roads, which can make motorists drive slowly.

• There can be pavement markings and suitable pedestrian crossings to ensure their safety.
  

Learn more: What are the best traffic calming measures for schools?

What’s the reason for traffic calming measures?

Traffic calming measures or road devices are among the best ways to control traffic and lower fatalities. In fact, road accidents are the leading cause of severe injuries that lead to death, and teenagers are most vulnerable to such accidents.

Traffic engineers define traffic calming as the combination of measures that help reduce traffic, minimize the adverse effects of vehicular traffic, alter driver’s behaviour and improve road conditions for non-motorized street users.

Reasons that make traffic calming measures the best ways to ensure safety for pedestrians and vehicles include:

• Devices decrease vehicular traffic lanes for pedestrians to cross.

• Provide room for pedestrian crossing.

• Improves speed limit and keeps it in a specified range.

• Minimize the collision risk and decrease the severity if crashes do occur.

• Reduce rear-end and side-swipe crashes to lower fatalities.

• Provide an opportunity for on-street parking, serving as a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles.

• Improve bicyclists’ safety when bicycle lanes are added.

• Increase the response rate of ambulances and fire trucks to reach their destination on time.

• Help patients, handicapped and older people to safely travel in vehicles without crossing the speed limit and gives a smoother pathway with no jerks or jolts.

• Traffic calming measures help police enforcement to maintain a steady traffic flow and provide highway authorities with a safe pathway.

• Improve property value.

• Encourage varied transportation modes.
  

Learn more: What’s the reason for traffic calming measures?

Best traffic calming measures for villages

Recently, fatal traffic accidents in rural areas have occurred. Therefore, there have been several proposals to improve village safety, including:

• Many village residents agree that speed limit signs should indicate a speed of under 30 mph.

• Gateways should be at village entrances to reduce traffic flow and accidents.

• Chicanes, speed bumps, and cushions can dramatically reduce traffic since their impact alerts the driver.

• Speed cushions can be a perfect solution to avoid disruption for emergency vehicles.

• The width of road lanes can be reduced, limiting the driving space and reducing the probability of damage.

• There can be various signages and traffic signs, including stop signs, regulatory signs, hazards, and different action signs.
  

Conclusion

Traffic calming solutions are now integral for any place. The excess vehicles and traffic flow can cause a roadblock, creating a menace.

There are numerous cases of roadblocks that can cause collisions between vehicles and pedestrians. These crashes have undesirable consequences, making it necessary to regulate traffic.

Therefore, authorities like Vision Zero, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration are enacting solutions to ease the lives of drivers and pedestrians.

Many authorities are starting to support speed cushions because they satisfy many stakeholders. Therefore, if you’re looking for some high-quality rubber speed cushions, Sino Concept is your go-to solution for exclusive traffic measures.