What are the Dimensions of a Speed Cushion?

Speed cushions are elongated raised structures that the transportation department uses on roads and city streets to improve pedestrian safety and vehicular traffic safety.

Their width is more than cars’ width; hence, drivers must slow down to drive over them smoothly. However, they are less wide than emergency vehicles, so they can straddle the tool and drive over it without speed reduction.

Speed cushions are available in the market in different sizes, allowing people to purchase products that best meet their speed control and traffic-management needs.

Here, you will learn the most common speed cushion dimensions, materials, and colors. You will also find what factors to consider before purchasing a speed table.

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Speed cushion height, width, and length

A speed cushion is generally fixed at the center of a traffic lane. It gives tires of long-axle vehicles enough room to drive over this traffic-management tool.

Its length, width, and height are always according to the regulations and recommendations provided by transportation engineers and the Federal Highway Administration.

You cannot just create speed cushions in any size and fix them on roads. It can put the lives of numerous people at risk. Your speed cushion dimensions should always match your local regulations regarding speed cushions.

If you are unaware of these regulations, you should contact your local municipality to find out. It will help you purchase the right product and avoid legal trouble.

In most countries around the world, commonly used speed cushion dimensions are:

• Length: 8 to 10 feet or 2000 to 3000 mm
• Width: 6 to 7 feet or 1800 to 2100 mm
• Height: 3 inches or 65 mm

Speed cushion weight

The weight of a speed cushion is governed by many factors, including its size and material. It is needless to say, large-sized speed cushions are heavier than small-sized speed cushions.

If you consider material, concrete speed cushions are the heaviest, while plastic and rubber speed cushions are the lightest.

The weight-bearing capacity of a speed cushion tells you how much weight a speed cushion can tolerate before it deforms or cracks. Most speed cushions can tolerate around 20,000 pounds or more weight.

Colors and materials

Speed cushions are manufactured of many different materials. Some of the most common materials are:

Recycled rubber: It is environmentally friendly and tough yet flexible compared to other materials. Its toughness makes it durable and long-lasting. And the flexibility makes it good for vehicular tires. Recycled rubber speed cushions produce the least impact on tires and create less traffic noise than other speed cushions.

Asphalt: It is a durable material, and you can give it any shape or form. It is less flexible than rubber. That is why the impact of asphalt speed cushions on wheels is more than that of rubber speed cushions.

Concrete: It is also a reliable material and can last for years if you maintain it from time to time. Concrete speed cushions have a natural concrete color. You need to coat layers of paint on them to enhance their visibility. Concrete is very dense, hard, and non-flexible. Its impact on vehicles is the highest compared to other materials.

Most speed cushions are dark, like red or black, making them visible on roads, schools, and slow zones. Some manufacturers use reflective tape to make these traffic calming measures more visible. The tape shines whenever traffic lights fall on it. This way, drivers become aware of their presence beforehand and slow down on time.

How to purchase the right speed cushion?

Traffic control devices like speed humps, speed bumps, traffic cones, speed signs, speed breakers, traffic signals, wheel stops, and speed cushions are available in the market in different forms. Each form is suitable for particular traffic-control needs.

If you are interested in purchasing speed cushions for an intersection, roadway, or crosswalk, here are the key factors you must consider before you purchase them.

Material type and quality: As mentioned earlier, different materials are used to make speed cushions. Each material gives these traffic calming techniques unique characteristics. You should consider choosing a speed cushion material that best suits the needs of your traffic control plan.

Don’t forget to analyze material quality. Investing in high-quality materials once can help you save maintenance costs in the future.

Dimensions: The size of your speed cushions should be according to the local speed cushion dimension regulations.

Design and style: Speed cushions are available in different colors, designs, and styles. Select the one that best meets your aesthetic needs. If you plan to install this tool in a darker area, choosing a bright-colored speed cushion with reflective tape is better.

Local speed cushion regulations: Speed cushion regulations are created by municipalities to offer people the safety and protection that they deserve.
These regulations tell you how to install speed cushions and which kind of tool to use on a particular road. Learn your local rules and regulations to make the most of these city traffic control tools in your areas.

Interesting facts about speed cushions

Speed cushions are very helpful devices that you should use to make your roads and streets safe for all.

Here are some interesting facts about these tools.

• You can use them in several places, including a traffic cut-through, pedestrian crossing, roundabout, work zone, slow zone, low-speed zone, unmarked crosswalk, and per-hour parking space to make them safe for people.
• You can use speed cushions with different tools such as speed ramps, stop signs, pavement markings, parking signs, bollards, rumble strips, traffic barriers, road bumps, and bolted traffic signs to improve the efficiency of traffic control plans.
• Traffic data shows that they discourage over-speeding and can slow down speeding motorists up to 20 miles per hour (mph) without slowing down emergency vehicles, fire trucks, and buses.
• They reduce the number of road accidents and associated fatalities.
• They do not affect water drainages like a speed bump or speed hump.
• A cyclist or a bicyclist can easily pass through the spacing between two speed cushions.
• They do not produce as much discomfort to drivers and passengers as other traffic control tools.

Conclusion

Two-way traffic lanes, pedestrian crossings, slow traffic zones, and parking lots having speed cushions notice a significant reduction in road accidents and associated deaths.

These traffic control devices have a raised surface that makes car drivers travel at a slower speed to prevent accidents. The wheel cutouts between two speed cushions allow long-axle vehicles to pass without decreasing their acceleration.

Unlike speed bumps and humps, these tools do not prevent rainwater movement on roads or reduce emergency response rates. This is the reason transportation engineers use them on emergency vehicle routes.

Choose speed cushions over other speed control tools if you need something that produces the least impact on vehicles and allows bicyclists and emergency vehicles to pass without speed reduction!