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SPEED BUMPS/HUMPS <br /> <br />CHAPTER <br /> <br />24 <br /> <br />Speec Hump <br /> <br />Speed bumps and speed humps are raised <br />areas in the roadway surface which extend <br />across the roadway perpendicular to the traf- <br />fic flow. Speed bumps are generally 3 to 6 <br />inches high with a length of I to 3 feet <br />(shorter than the wheel base of an automo- <br />bile). They are typically used in low speed <br />parking lots and alley situations. Speed <br />humps, on the other hand, are generally 3 to <br />4 inches high with a length of approximately <br />12 feet (longer than the wheel base of an <br />automobile). <br /> <br /> Effects <br /> <br />Volumes. Speed b~amps and speed humps <br />will often reduce itraffic volumes on the <br />streets where they are employed. The degree <br />of traffic reduction' is dependent upon the <br />number and the spacing of the <br />bumps/humps, the amount of cut through <br />traffic, and the availability of alternate <br />routes. Speed bumps/humps have been <br />used to deter trucks and larger vehicles from <br />using a street. <br /> <br />Speed. A speed bt;rap causes significant <br />driver discomfort at residential traffic speeds <br /> <br />Speed Bump <br /> <br />and generally results in .vehicles slowing to <br />5 mph or less at the bump. At high speeds, <br />bumps tend to have less overall vehicle im- <br />pact because the vehicle suspension quickly <br />absorbs the impact before the body can react. <br /> <br />At typical residential speeds, speed humps <br />cause some driver discomfort and result in <br />most vehicles slowing to 15 mph or less at <br />each hump. At higher speeds, the hump <br />tends to act as a bump and severely jolts the <br />vehicle suspension and its occupants or <br />cargo. <br /> <br />Speed bumps or speed humps should only <br />be installed on streets where the prevailing <br />speed limit is 30 mph or less. <br /> <br />These devices generally have a continuous <br />effect on vehicle speeds if spaced at less than <br />800 feet. Once spacing exceeds 800 feet, the <br />effect on speed is only in the immediate <br />vicinity of the bump/hump. <br /> <br />Traffic Noise, Air Quality and Energy Con- <br />sumption. Traffic noise is generally reduced <br />slightly between the bumps/humps on low <br />volume local streets. At the speed <br />bumps/humps, experience has shown <br /> <br />Neighborhood Traffic ContrOl <br /> <br />January 1994 <br /> <br /> <br />