Education Before Enforcement

Education Before Enforcement Deterring Speeders There’s a common misconception that speed laws and police officers are out to get drivers, conspiring to slap them with tickets they don’t deserve. In fact, speed laws are enacted to keep people safe and are carefully calculated taking each street’s environment in mind. Police officers far prefer that drivers obey laws and drive safely than ticket them for speeding. For that reason, speed trailers and display signs are rapidly growing as a tool for police departments to educate drivers and remind them to slow down.   Why Bother Educating? Effective traffic calming, that is slowing of vehicles to safe speeds, almost always involves the three Es- Education, Engineering, and Enforcing. Simply ticketing drivers may be revenue-producing but that’s not the end goal of police departments. Educating drivers is the first, and most important, step to safer roads. Billboards and educational campaigns are effective ways to educate while speed trailers have the advantage of catching drivers in the moment as well as the ability to personalize messages to each driver. How Speed Trailers Educate Speed display signs provide a multi-pronged approach to driver education. They are mounted along with speed limit signs so that drivers see a comparison of the posted speed limit and their own speeds. Speeds are displayed highly visible LED digits so that drivers are aware of what their speeds are. Both the digits and the sign strobes can flash at drivers who exceed set speeds to alert them that they are speeding. Many signs also offer the option to display driver responsive messaging such as “Slow Down” or “Too Fast”. Is Education Enough? For most drivers, the reminder that they need to slow down is sufficient to change behaviors and encourage safer speeds. In fact, studies have shown that most drivers, as many as 70%, do slow down at radar signs. However, a well-rounded, effective traffic calming program should also take Engineering and Enforcement into account. Engineering can be done with street narrowing or physical devices such as speed humps or lane separators while enforcement is something every city has its own approach to.

Have Traffic Laws Gone Mad?

Do These Laws Make Sense? As engineers and police departments work to craft and maintain safe roads, people are sometimes left wondering why certain laws exist. Does this road really need to be one way? Does every corner need a stop sign? Are these annoying speed humps actually serving any purpose? In most cases, traffic laws are there for a good reason but in some cases, they are actually pretty off the wall.  Crazy Traffic Laws Some states have enacted laws that leave people scratching their heads. Some notable ones?  In Eureka, CA it’s illegal to sleep on the road In GA, it is against the law to drive through a playground In Sag Harbor, NY, it’s illegal to undress in your car In West Virginia, it’s against the law to eat road kill In CT, it’s illegal to shoot whales from your car In UT, there are birds that have the right of way In MA, it’s illegal to drive with a gorilla in the backseat Method to the Madness While outlawing using the road as a bed sounds preposterous, statistics on traffic safety and road accidents demonstrate that most traffic laws are enacted for a good reason. Lower speed limits on residential roads are not just arbitrary, they can actually save lives. One Swedish study found that after reducing speed limits, traffic fatalities were reduced even several years down the line. Keeping traffic moving at a safe, steady pace on residential roads can make the difference between a narrowly diverted accident and an untimely death. Maintening Safety Enacting appropriate speed limits is a great start but many studies find that speed limits alone do little to curb speeding drivers. Speed limits in conjunction with enforcement measures, however, can be powerful in creating safer roads and neighborhoods. Using speed limits in conjunction with road narrowing, speed humps, or speed indicator signs can ensure that the laws on your streets not only make sense but are adhered to.

Safer Roads and Aging Population

Safer Roads and Aging Population Aging Driving Population With growing life expectancy and more active older adults than ever, America’s driving population is aging. Driving patterns change for older drivers as retirement changes schedules and age related declines in vision, hearing and overall wellness can affect driving skills. While average drivers who are 65 or over are actually more likely to be safe drivers than younger counterparts, with a lifetime of driving experience behind them, some elderly drivers are at risk of increased injuries and fatalities to themselves and others when they are behind the wheel. How Safe are They? For the most recent year that data was available, NHTSA  reports that 17% of all traffic fatalities in the US involved people 65 and over. This age group accounts for 14% of the total US population. The number of licensed drivers in the US increased a whopping 27% in the past ten years. The NIH reports that elderly drivers are the least likely to be involved in crashes involving alcohol or speeding but are more likely to get into accidents at intersections and when merging, both situations in where other drivers may be going faster and have quicker reflexes.  Safer Road for All Many engineers, cyclists, pedestrians, and health professionals advocate for Complete Streets. When we think of streets that offer safe access to all users, we often think of motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. However, the elderly population, who comprise 44.7 million people in the US, need to be considered as well. Whether that means incorporating more speed control devices such as speed humps so that younger drivers don’t speed in areas frequented by slower driving seniors, having longer crossing times for seniors who may be using canes or wheelchairs, or using speed indicator signs to remind elderly drivers of their speeds and ensure they are alert, safer streets for all need to take all ages into account. Resources for Improved Safety Hearing, vision, reaction time, and physical changes affect different people at different ages. Ultimately, as the NIH points out, it’s a person’s health, and not their age, that determines their ability to continue driving safely. An elderly person is more likely to suffer from conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, dementia, stroke, or Parkinson’s disease, all of which can affect one’s ability to drive safely. The NIH website features videos of what it’s like to drive with each of these conditions to offer insight to drivers and their family members. It’s important to remember that the most fundamental component of safer roads is safe drivers.

Safer Roads After Dark

Night Driving Winter is in full swing and while the shortest of its days are behind us, many more lie ahead. Driving in the dark always has its perils but on winter days, people spend even more time driving in the dark. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are all compromised when driving at night. Even with well-lit roads, visibility at night is more difficult than during daylight. In rural areas, night time driving is even more challenging with long stretches of road that are often insufficiently lit.  Night Perils  In addition to visibility issues, night driving has additional challenges. Fatigue becomes more common in the dark and dulls concentration and slows reaction time. Crashes are more common at night with a disproportionate number of fatal accidents happening after dark. The National Safety Council (NSC) calls driving in the dark “the most dangerous time to drive,” listing additional factors such as rush hour driving, impaired driving, and particularly poor vision for elderly drivers. With the many added concerns of night time roadways, effective traffic calming becomes more imperative than ever to protect drivers and pedestrians from accidents and injuries. Improving Nighttime Safety Safer night roads begin with well-engineered roads that are designed to protect motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists and keep traffic moving at a safe pace. One of the most important ways to implement safety is to improve visibility and keep drivers alert. At Traffic Logix, our solutions are manufactured to do just that. Our SafePace signs are equipped with highly visible leds, flashing lights, and driver-responsive messaging to keep drivers alert and focused on the roads. All of our rubber traffic calming solutions are molded with highly reflective highway tape for improved nighttime visibility. Educational Tips In addition to better equipped roadways, educating drivers about cautions to take when driving in the dark can go a long way to preventing accidents. Some valuable tips from dmv.org include:  ·Keeping headlights on 1 hour before dusk and after dawn ·Maintain greater than normal distance between you and the next driver ·Focus eyes on the right edge of road to avoid glare ·Stay alert to deer and other wildlife ·Don’t ignore fatigue- make stops and take brisk walks

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.

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.