Static speed limit signs do their part in road safety. Without them, many drivers would speed with abandon and small concern for what other drivers were doing. But they have many limitations so far as traffic calming. The biggest limitation, which is also a speed limit sign's largest strength, is familiarity.
All drivers recognize speed limit signs as official. The signs are standard government traffic signs, meeting the govt. standards for road signs. They understand that they can be ticketed for speeding after they surpass the number that's posted. This familiarity helps drivers.
It also unfortunately suggests that the signs become such a familiar part of the roadside that many drivers no longer "see" them. They notice them, often, but the signs don't truly command their attention. That makes it straightforward to bear in mind that the speed limit is 35 but creep up to 40 or 45 without too much notice. On the road, the 55 or 60 mph speeds are easy to ignore while drivers hit speeds of 70 or higher. The fact that we're all so familiar with these types of signs can make it simpler to exceed posted limits.
A speed sign that does something, on the other handâ€"lighting up, flashing, displaying a message or graphicâ€"will draw a driver's attention and put the speed limit and the environment back into his mind. Research has demonstrated that having your speed displayed back to you as you drive will almost always make you slow down even if you aren't going over the limit.
The beauty of driver feedback signs of this nature is that regardless of if they become familiar, they do not cause the same over-familiarity since the signs themselves change consistently. They have an inclination to keep drivers alert longer, whether or not they drive the same stretch of road day to day.
All drivers recognize speed limit signs as official. The signs are standard government traffic signs, meeting the govt. standards for road signs. They understand that they can be ticketed for speeding after they surpass the number that's posted. This familiarity helps drivers.
It also unfortunately suggests that the signs become such a familiar part of the roadside that many drivers no longer "see" them. They notice them, often, but the signs don't truly command their attention. That makes it straightforward to bear in mind that the speed limit is 35 but creep up to 40 or 45 without too much notice. On the road, the 55 or 60 mph speeds are easy to ignore while drivers hit speeds of 70 or higher. The fact that we're all so familiar with these types of signs can make it simpler to exceed posted limits.
A speed sign that does something, on the other handâ€"lighting up, flashing, displaying a message or graphicâ€"will draw a driver's attention and put the speed limit and the environment back into his mind. Research has demonstrated that having your speed displayed back to you as you drive will almost always make you slow down even if you aren't going over the limit.
The beauty of driver feedback signs of this nature is that regardless of if they become familiar, they do not cause the same over-familiarity since the signs themselves change consistently. They have an inclination to keep drivers alert longer, whether or not they drive the same stretch of road day to day.
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