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What are Speed Cushions Regulations?

The number of road accidents is gradually increasing in the world. It has made pedestrian safety and traffic control devices more important than ever.

The Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are now emphasizing the usage of traffic safety tools in traffic lanes and city streets.

Speed cushions are one of the most beneficial traffic-management tools that help slow down traffic and prevent fatalities. However, to get the most out of this tool, you must use it according to your local speed cushion regulations.

This article will teach you about the speed cushion regulations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Belgium.

Discover below our full range of  Speed Cushions!

Why are speed cushions more and more popular in the world?

Traffic calming measures like speed bumps, speed humps, stop signs, pavement markings, rumble strips, traffic cones, parking signs, road signs, speed cushions, and wheel stops are used worldwide. Each tool offers its unique benefits.

The use of speed cushions is increasing in different countries. It is because of the benefits that they offer. It is hard to find the same benefits in any other tool.

Here are the reasons why the use of speed cushions is increasing exponentially.

  • Unlike speed humps and speed bumps, these tools do not force emergency vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, or school buses to slow down. They let them straddle them and keep going at the same speed. It helps emergency vehicles maintain their emergency response time and reach their destination on time.
  • Speed cushions slow down standard cars. They force car drivers to reduce their speed to 20 miles per hour (mph). It helps prevent vehicle-to-vehicle collisions and vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions.
  • You can find speed cushions in the market in different forms that differ from each other based on their sizes, designs, materials, and costs. It gives buyers plenty of options to choose from. You can easily find a speed table in the market that matches your budget and aesthetic needs.
  • Speed cushions allow bicyclists and cyclists to go without reducing their speed. But if you look at speed humps and speed bumps, they force cyclists or bicyclists to slow down. It makes speed cushions a good choice for roads where cyclists are not required to reduce their speed.
  • Speed cushions have spacing between them. The spacing allows stormwater to move easily on the roadway and reach the drainage, helping prevent water accumulation and slip-and-fall accidents.
  • People use them to divert the routes of drivers. If vehicles pass through a road very often and it stays hectic, installing speed cushions helps make the road less hectic. It is because drivers mostly avoid speed reduction devices or roads that have them.
A pair of red speed cushions on the road to reduce speed.

Speed cushion UK

Transportation engineers use speed cushions in the UK around work zones, roundabouts, crosswalks, and parabolic parking lots to improve their traffic control plans.

Speed cushions in the UK have regulations that the installer or buyer must follow to make the most of this tool.

According to UK regulations, speed cushions should not be installed so close to each other that they obstruct the movement of large-axle vehicles, bicycles, or cycles.

Their length should be from 8 to 10 feet, while their width should be from 6 to 7 feet. Their height should not be more than 3 inches.

Red and white UK speed cushions to reduce vehicles' speed.

Get in touch

The Speed Cushions Factory is a leading manufacturer of rubber speed cushions located in Qingdao, China.
Feel free to contact us!
We are always here to help!

Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.

sales@speed-cushion.com

Speed Cushions Australia & New Zealand

In Australia and New Zealand, local municipalities use speed cushions, traffic control signs, speed breakers, regulatory signs, highway signs, and bollards to create intelligent transportation systems.

Their standard cars are usually 6 feet wide. Therefore, speed cushions in Australia and New Zealand should be wider than 6 feet.

Their height should be high enough to reduce vehicular speed up to 20 mph. You can install them in various places, such as pedestrian crossings, roundabouts, and traffic intersections.

Black and white Australia and New Zealand style speed cushion on the road.

Speed cushion Europe

Speed cushions used in European countries should be according to their local regulations. If you are unaware of your local regulations, you should contact your local municipality to learn about them.

According to European regulations, speed signs, warning signs, or speed limit signs should be installed before speed cushions to inform upcoming traffic about their presence. It will make drivers more conscious, and they will likely reduce their vehicular acceleration beforehand.

Speed cushions installed in darker places should have reflective tape to increase their visibility at night or when street lights are absent. The tape will make them visible when a traffic light falls on them.

Red Europe speed cushions with white reflective films.

Speed cushion Belgium

Different materials, including recycled plastic, rubber, concrete, asphalt, and metal, can be used to make speed cushions in Belgium.

Their transportation department encourages people to create a traffic management plan that uses various tools like speed cushions, traffic barriers, guide signs, road bumps, traffic signals, road traffic signs, stop lights, variable message signs, and signals for road traffic safety.

Their traffic laws allow people to install road cushions in school zones, slow traffic zones, pedestrian zones, unmarked crosswalks, and traffic interchanges. They can use a single speed cushion in a traffic lane or fix a pair of speed cushions side by side. They can also fix a group of speed cushions consisting of three tools in a row if the road is wide and has space for three speed cushions.

Red and white Belgium speed cushions for traffic-calming purposes.

When to install speed cushions on roads and city streets?

Speed cushions are usually installed by municipalities and the transportation department on roads where pedestrians and vehicular traffic have a close interaction daily. It helps them control traffic volume and traffic flow. Property owners can install these tools themselves on private roads as well.

If the number of road accidents is increasing in your neighborhood due to vehicular over-speeding, you can request your local municipality to install speed cushions for public safety.

They will significantly reduce the collision hazard and help keep traffic within safe speed limits. There is a particular procedure to request a traffic control device installation by the local municipality. You will have to involve other people living in the same neighborhood and contact the municipality.

The municipality will look into the matter, analyze the traffic situation on your road and then take action accordingly.

Conclusion

Speed cushions are raised obstructions installed on roads and streets to prevent vehicular over-speeding and make people feel safe.

Speed cushion manufacturers produce speed cushions in different sizes, designs, and styles.

A design suitable for UK roads might not be appropriate for Australian roads. This is because each country has its own speed cushion regulations. You should learn about your local speed cushion regulations before you purchase these tools for your roads and streets.

Before investing in it, you should consider the design, style, height, length, width, material, and cost of a speed cushion.

Choose a rubber speed cushion if you want a tool that offers the following benefits:

  • It produces the least impact on vehicles
  • It produces less traffic noise compared to other kinds of speed cushions
  • It is easy to install and maintain
  • It can last for years

Get in touch

The Speed Cushions Factory is a leading manufacturer of rubber speed cushions located in Qingdao, China.
Feel free to contact us!
We are always here to help!

Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.

sales@speed-cushion.com

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