Why Every City Needs Quality Speed Breakers: Benefits & Best Practices

In 2022 alone, India has seen over 1.5 Lakhs road accident deaths because of poor infrastructure and lack of civic sense. One simple solution to this are speed breakers. 

Speed breakers are often overlooked by us in our normal day or we see them as annoying bumps. But speed breakers are installed to serve as reliable road safety equipment. They’re put there strategically to increase road safety. From school zones, crowd interaction points to hidden turns and joints in the road. These breakers are places so you slow down and if something suddenly jumps in front of you then you can easily stop. 

As a city planner you shouldn’t ignore these since they might now look like it but they are absolutely effective and necessary. 

What are speed breakers?

What are the speed breakers on roads?

Speed breakers are used on the road to slow down traffic. Most people mix up speed bumps with speed humps or rumble strips, but they are different. Their works are similar but they are different in shape and size. 

• Speed breakers: These are normally seen as sudden, short bumps to reduce speed sharply.
• Speed Humps: These are made wide for all vehicles and ease their slowing down speed.
• Rumble Strips: These are to remind drivers who are not paying attention on the road.

These devices are usually put in place nearby schools, hospitals, crossways for pedestrians, and residential areas. 

Their job? Forcing drivers to go easier at the speed which elevates safety not only for drivers but for all occupants of vehicles.

Why Every city need quality speed breakers?

Every city is facing the issue of over-exhausting traffic. To tackle that issue and reduce the number of accidents we have been seeing, speed breakers are a must on the roads. 

Decreasing the Speed in Places with High Risk

Most accidents take place in locations where drivers disobey the speed limit. Experts have shown that using speed breakers can cause most vehicles to slow by 40% and considerably reduce the total number of accidents.

In Pune, when proper speed bumps were put in a hectic school zone, its accident rate came down by 60% in only 3 months.

Making streets safe for pedestrians

Young and old people are more at risk and can be more easily hurt. So the presence of speed breakers allows vehicles to reduce speed and gives time for pedestrians to cross. Research has found that speed breakers placed in the right place and way can cause drivers to obey traffic rules, and the nation will suffer fewer accidents.

Working on improving how people follow traffic laws.

Speed breakers also work on the way how people are naturally made to drive more cautiously. With time, constant driving in these areas helps people keep their speed at a consistent level. This is the psychological trick applied on traffic-related behaviors using science.

Handling emergency situations

Despite the myth, if speed breakers are created in the right way then they do not create difficulties for emergency vehicles. Even with accurate planning and clear markings, they support ambulances and maintain the main look and function of the road. 

Main features of high-quality speed breakers

There are differences among speed breakers. If the materials or the design is not good enough, they can cause damage instead of saving lives.

Essential features of breakers

• Durable material: Rubber, plastic, and reinforced concrete make the bridges durable enough to handle intense loads.
• Visibility: To be more visible at night, there are yellow-black markings, cat eyes, and reflectors.
• Weather resistance: Breakers should not break or change shape whether it be rainy, hot or cold weather.
• Load bearing capacity: A breaker should have a minimum of 40 tons load bearing capacity so vehicles can easily cross. 
• Compliance: From material to quality barriers should meet guidelines by IRC and the local municipality.

Best practices in speed bump installations

Being durable is not enough for the speed bump to work effectively. Proper speed bump installation with steady fixes is also needed. Only through proper installations can you ensure maximum safety and minimal distribution. 

Best practices include these:

• Correct dimensions: The perfect size for a breaker is 3.7 meters wide and 0.1 meters high. 
• Strategic placement: It’s important to put signs alongside crosswalks and not at blind curves.
• Warning signs: Ensure that signs of speed breakers are set up 40 meters ahead of the breaker.
• Lighting: Make sure that reflective paint and road studs are used on the breaker so they are easy to see. 
• Supervision: This is done together with other road safety equipment, especially signs, signals, and barriers.

It is very important to do regular checks. Damaged or worn speed breakers are both unsafe and not very helpful.

What is the role authorities played?

If you want working breakers that are effective, then just putting concrete in place is not the only thing required for speed breakers. Authorities must:

• Conduct road safety audits: To find out which are the high-risk zones and the best strategic placement for speed breakers. 
• Reach out to Communities: The local people’s help can highly influence the best placement spots as they know the area best. 
• Emergency routes: While work is in progress the government. Should plan emergency routes so no disruption is done. 

It is important for municipal teams to ensure that speed breakers effectively do their job and that no accidents occur.

Conclusion

Small speed breakers are able to completely elevate the safety of our roads. They can reduce accident chances and curb reckless driving. These kinds of traffic calming devices are very important for the safety of everyone. 

Even so, it’s important to get the right style, install them securely, use high-quality material, and choose the right spots for them.We make sure safety is delivered along with our products at CrashBarrierIndia.

Regardless of if they are used on urban roads, in neighborhoods, for industries, or highway jobs, our speed breakers are built to focus on all the needed requirements.

Do you require well-built speed breakers or things to keep your road safe?

So get in touch with us at CrashBarriersIndia and let’s install speed breakers one by one.