Hypnotized Behind The Wheel

Every day, thousands of drivers drive hypnotized. No, it's not a new craze- it's a real phenomenon, and it's probably happened to you. Do you ever mistakenly drive in the wrong direction because that's how you usually go? Have you ever pulled into your driveway and wondered how you got there? That's because you experienced highway hypnosis.

Strange as it seems, highway hypnosis is more common than it seems- and can lead to dangerous results. Check out our November Traffic Calmer and read about what highway hypnosis is, what to do about it, and some key strategies for prevention. Learn how blinking leds on driver feedback signs can help return drivers to the present with a bright visual alert.

The Lightweight Sign with Full Size Impact

There are some radar speed signs, like the bestselling SafePace 100 radar sign that offer a compact, lightweight solution to speeding cars. While small signs are economical and may be ideal for HOA or campus roads, the 11" digits can be hard to see on larger roadways or for higher speed traffic.

Other signs like the full size SafePace line offer full size digits that are easier to see but are heavy and can only be used at multiple location with a trailer unit.

The new SafePace 450 driver feedback sign offers a synergy of both kinds of radar signs. It boasts lightweight design but still offers full size digits. It also offers several features until now only offered with the SafePace 100 speed indicator sign such as battery power for autonomo
us functioning and universal mounting brackets.

Learn more about the SafePace 450 speed sign in our Product Spotlight October newsletter.

On busy streets shared by stores, cafes, and residences, how can people be kept safe?

Downtown areas can be busy hubs for many types of traffic. Cars, bicycles, and pedestrians often share limited space, all trying to get where they need to go as quickly as they can.

Can traffic calming work in downtown areas? Are businesses negatively affected when cars are compelled to drive slower by speed humps or radar speed signs? Learn the answers to these questions and more information on downtown traffic calming in our September Traffic Calmer newsletter.

Back to School Safety

As students across the country head back to the classroom, how can we ensure that they can get there- and back home- safely?

Active transportation such as bicycling and walking to school is increasing but is safety?

Learn about the challenges to school safety and why traffic calming solutions such as flashing beacons, radar signs,and speed cushions may be the crucial first step every city should consider before education, encouragement, or enforcement can be effective. Read our August Traffic Calmer and help your school have a safer year. What you read may just help save a life.

What in your car is most likely to save your life?

Well let's be honest, there's a whole slew of things in your car that can save your life. Your seatbelt. The brakes. Even your horn. But there's only one thing that you have to constantly make sure is in operation. Without this your chances of surviving the daily commute are slim. Your most powerful driving tool is something completely in your control- your eyes.

Distracted driving is a growing risk and even the smallest glance away from the road can have disastrous results. Learn about the dangers of failing to pay attention on the road and life-saving ways to ensure that drivers on your roads are paying attention when it matters most in our July Traffic Calmer newsletter.

Traffic calming saves lives. Brightly lit speed display signs can make your roads safer for everyone.

Single Source

If you do an internet search for radar speed signs, you'll find hundreds of entries. Search for speed humps and you'll find another extensive list. Bike lane curbing? School zone beacons? Speed cushions? You can find a company to provide each of your traffic calming solutions, but how many can you find that can offer you all of them?

Finding companies that offer each of the solutions you need and comparing the pros and cons of each can be  time-consuming and confusing. How can you be sure what's right for your roads when each company is pushing its own solutions as best?

Learn how to outfit your roads with the traffic calming solutions you need without finding an individual provider for each. Learn more in our June Traffic Calmer newsletter.

Under Construction

With the thousands of roads that are resurfaced, improved, redesigned, and repaired each year, there's a risk that can't be ignored. Thousands of crashes take place in work zones, many of which result in injuries. Who is most at risk in work zones? Surprisingly, it isn't the workers- it's drivers and passengers. And there's a way we can improve safety for everyone- motorists, passengers, and workers alike.

Want to learn more about work zone statistics and which states' roadways are most at risk? Curious about solutions such as variable speed limit signs, work zone radar signs, and national and statewide awareness campaigns and how they can help make a difference?

Take a minute to read our May Traffic Calmer and you may be surprised at what you learn. Read the newsletter on our website here.

How far can your money take you?

We're all familiar with the ubiquitous MasterCard slogan: there's some things money can't buy, for everything else.... Those elusive things that money can't buy can indeed be those that don't entail payment or they can merely be those that are beyond your budget. Thankfully, we're here to help make sure that traffic calming and safer streets are not on your list of things money can't buy.

With a range of affordable options, budget-conscious solutions, and the benefit of saving lives every day, our radar signs and rubber solutions offer what you need at a price you can afford, for safer roads. While our products come with a competitive price tag, the lives you save with them are indeed priceless.

To learn which solutions are most cost-effective and how you can create safer streets within your budget, check out our April Traffic Calmer and learn how to protect your resident for the right price.

Be Careful, It's Raining! When Are You Most at Risk on the Roads?

We've all heard that refrain and variations of it dozens of times.

"Be careful driving, it's slippery out when it rains."

"The snow's coming down hard, stay alert out there."

"It's dark out, pay attention to the roads."

Of course, those statements are all true. When it's raining, snowing, sleeting, or dark out, you should certainly stay alert and drive slowly and carefully.

But what about when it's the middle of the day, it's dry out, and the sun is shining? No need to be cautious then, right?

Think again.

NHTSA statistics show that surprisingly, most accidents happen during the daylight hours in normal weather conditions. In 2010 (the most recent year with data available), there were nearly 15,000 road fatalities in daytime under normal weather conditions. In contrast, there were around 2,000 in the rain both during the day and night and around 750 in the snow including day and night hours.

Why is driving in perfectly bright weather conditions on roads that aren't slippery or wet dangerous?

Perhaps because people tend to let their guard down and assume they don't need to be particularly alert when there are no weather or lighting issues affecting the roads.

It's during these hours that traffic calming is the most important. Speed trailers, radar signs, or flashing beacons are all effective in reminding drivers to focus on the roads, even when there is no apparent danger. Speed humps, tables, and cushions compel drivers to slow down and save lives in the process.

When everything seems fine and drivers forget to focus on the roads, traffic calming makes sure they drive safely. Radar signs or speed humps on your roads can help avoid accidents before they happen.

Traffic Calming, Flashing Beacons, and School Safety

With the growing epidemic of obesity, contributed to by the sedentary lifestyle many Americans have adopted, advocates are encouraging a return to manual transportation. More and more students are walking or biking to school but many more are traveling by bus or car.

How safe are students when they arrive and leave school each day? Does your school zone have traffic calming in effect to protect children?

Flashing beacons alert drivers and have been shown to be effective in slowing cars down around schools. The Traffic Logix SafePace beacons are not the only solution we have to help you create safer streets. We've worked with schools across the country to tailor the solutions to fit their needs

Learn more about the safety risks students face each day and the solutions you can use to protect them in our March Traffic Calmer newsletter.

A Trailer by Any Other Name

SafePace Cruiser LT shown with SafePace 800 rotating sign

Some people think speed trailers are a ubiquitous term for all radar speed signs and speed display signs. They're not. Speed trailers are actually mobile devices that are used to mount speed signs for portable use. They are a versatile traffic calming tool and can be towed on the back of any vehicle and parked wherever speeding is a concern.

What sets the Traffic Logix SafePace Cruiser LT speed trailers apart? Well for one, as the photo on the left shows, the Cruiser LT includes a cool little feature that lets you rotate your sign either vertically or horizontally. But it doesn't end there. The Cruiser LT includes a whole host of features and options that make it the ideal accessory to help you use your speed signs more efficiently in slowing traffic down.

Where should you use your trailer? 

Do speed trailers really work? 

Learn the answers to these questions in our February newsletter, Product Spotlight: SafePace Cruiser LT Speed Trailers.

Can your car keep you and those around you safer on the roads?

Imagine a world where traffic crashes are a thing of the past and everyone is safe on the roads. Seems impossible, but Jesse Levinson, a research scientist at Stanford University, is working on making it a reality.

Jesse Levinson

There are already a vast number of optical and radar sensors monitoring cars on roadways across the country. Levinson's pedestrian detection system helps alert drivers to imminent collisions with auditory, visual, and mechanical warnings, and if necessary, takes automatic action to prevent an accident.

New systems such as these are cropping up, making use of computer algorithms and taking advantage of the dropping costs of sensors. While completely autonomous vehicles for mainstream use are still a long way off, detection systems such as these leave the driver in control, but can take over when the driver fails.

Four car manufacturers have announced that they will offer models this year that allow the car to drive itself in speeds up to 37 mph. This past November the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended that all cars be equipped with collision avoidance technologies. In two states, California and Nevada, it is even legal to operate a self-driving car.

Cars that drive on their own are still in the development stages but there are many computerized systems such as the one developed by Levinson that help people drive safer, park easier, and prevent accidents and injuries.

Do you have a diet plan for your roads?

The new year has begun and people across the world have committed to healthier lifestyles. Now is the time to commit to healthier roadways too. Putting your road on a diet can do more than make you slimmer this year- it can save lives.

Wondering what a road diet is? Road diets are tools used by traffic engineers as part of a traffic calming plan to make streets safer and prevent accidents. Learn more about what a road diet is, how you can slim your roadway down, and whether a road diet is right for you.

Not ready for a road diet? Healthy streets go beyond just diet- learn techniques for safer and more complete streets in our January Traffic Calmer.