Parking Lot Safety

Busy parking lots can be a dangerous environment when traffic safety measures are not in place, such as the use of rubber speed bumps, removable speed humps, cars stops and properly identified parking stops. Visibility is often difficult for drivers pulling in and out of parking spaces. Well marked parking spaces with car stops or high visibility parking stops help direct vehicle traffic into designated parking areas. Wider parking spaces, signage and car stops provide clear simple direction for drivers entering and existing parking lots.

Rubber and plastic parking stops are lightweight, flexible and easy to install. Park-it car stops have highly visible reflective strips to designate parking areas. Yellow and White striped parking stops are the most common while blue striped car stops designate handicap parking. Not only are plastic parking stops and rubber car stops effective in promoting vehicle safety they a cost effective alternative to heavy concrete parking stops. Parking lot stops made of plastic or rubber are weather resistant so they won't fade, warp or crack providing long term parking lot safety.

While parking stops and car stops provide direction and safety when coming to a complete stop, speed humps and speed bumps are very effective for slowing vehicles down while driving through parking areas where people will be walking. Parking lots can be a dangerous area especially for children because small children are not easily seen when walking out from parking spaces into traffic aisle ways. It is crucial that adequate traffic safety tools such as speed humps and portable speed bumps be implemented to keep parking lots safe.

Below are commonly asked questions regarding the use of speed humps and speed bumps:

Q. What is a speed hump?
A. A speed hump is a gradual rise and fall of the pavement or road surface along the roadway extending across the pavement width. Generally, used on residential streets are 12 to 22 feet long with a maximum height of 3 to 4 inches. Speed "humps" are different from speed "bumps", which are seen in many private parking lots.

Speeding on residential streets is a common complaint of concerned citizens. Although enforcement of speed limits by police departments is an effective means of reducing speeds, limited resources do not allow such enforcement on a regular and permanent basis. Research has shown that speed humps are an effective approach to slowing down traffic on residential streets.

Q. How is it different from a speed bump?
A. A speed bump is abrupt, having a height of 3 to 4 inches over a length of 1 to 3 feet. Speed bumps cause most vehicles to slow down to almost a stop to go over it. Speed humps, on the other hand, are designed so most vehicles can go over them at 20 mph without causing driver discomfort.

Q. Are speed bumps costly to install and maintain?
In the past speed bumps were made of heavy concrete and were difficult to work with. Today there are lightweight plastic speed bumps and rubber speed bumps that are a highly effective alternative to heavy concrete.

Concrete is labor intensive to install and remove, while portable speed bumps made of recycled rubber are lighter and more flexible to install. Installation is relatively easy with using spikes or lag bolts making these temporary or removable speed bumps a versatile traffic calming solution. They are also lightweight and easy to install. They provide a more gradual incline than speed bumps and can be customized to varying road widths making them a popular portable speed bump alternative.

Q. How are speed humps effective in controlling speeds?
A. Speed humps cause a gentle vehicle rocking motion that causes driver discomfort, thus resulting in most vehicles slowing down to 20 mph at each hump. Depending upon street geometry, they are placed every 200 to 600 feet. The presence of these causes drivers to slow down at the humps and in between properly spaced successive humps. They have the advantage of being self-enforcing. They are sometimes referred to as "sleeping police officers". Removeable speed humps and portable speed bumps are proven to be an effective means of reducing speeds in residential areas to help keep children and pedestrians safe when crossing the street.

Q. How is a driver warned of the presence of speed humps?
A. On any street with speed humps, warning signs such as "Road Humps Ahead" are placed before the beginning of each series of humps. These signs also indicate the speed at which drivers are advised to travel over the hump. To be properly visible, it is marked with diagonal white or yellow stripes.

Q. Can speed humps be placed on any street?
A. They are placed only on residential streets with not more than two lanes and with a speed limit of 30 mph or less. For safety reasons, they are not installed within sections which are curved or where the street slopes uphill/downhill.

They are not typically installed on streets where emergency facilities are located. The Department of Public Works and Transportation communicates with the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services to ensure that they will not greatly impact their services. Increases in response time of approximately 2-10 seconds per hump may exist with the installation of speed humps.