Benefits of Driver Feedback Signs Beyond Slower Traffic

• Sep 28, 2011
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There's no doubt about the efficiency of radar speed traffic signs on traffic. Most speeders slow down and are more likely to comply with posted speed limits. Average drivers typically drop their speed as well. These add up to safer roadways and the potential for fewer pedestrian accidents and fatalities. Slower cars can stop faster, giving drivers more time to react. And when accidents are inevitable, the slower speed means fewer pedestrians will die as a result of the accident.

In addition to the many benefits of slower traffic at the site of the signs, these devices...

Why Choose Radar Traffic Signs Over Other Options

• Sep 25, 2011
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Reducing speed on a street isn't always easy. There are several different options to try, and deciding between them isn't always simple, either. Sometimes a combination of things works best, but many times it only takes one step. Radar traffic signs are that positive step toward traffic calming that can work with another method but also does quite well on its own. In a 2007 survey of over 100 traffic and engineer professionals, as well as law enforcement officers, radar traffic signs were believed to be the best way of slowing and controlling traffic.

Some of the other...

The General Operation of Driver Feedback Signs

• Sep 22, 2011
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If you invest in speed display signs, what can you expect from them as far as their actual operation?  You know they light up and show drivers the speeds they're traveling, which is designed to reduce overall speed and make the roads safer. But what exactly do they do, and how?

When a Car Approaches

Speed display signs send out radar waves that bounce off the metal vehicles and provide information about how fast the vehicles are going. This is done through The Doppler Effect. While the name might sound unfamiliar, you know what this is. If you've ever passed a car with...

Which to Choose: Solar or AC Radar Traffic Signs?

• Sep 19, 2011
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Municipalities and governments concerned with power costs may be hesitant to purchase one more thing that uses electricity when they don't feel it's necessary. While using AC-powered radar traffic signs will raise electricity costs a little, it probably won't raise them as much as you imagine. And the slightly increased cost will most likely be offset by fewer costs in other ways. Fewer accidents in an area cost the government less money, for instance. And what price would you put on pedestrian and driver safety?

If the idea of an addition to the electrical bill in an...

Some Important Features of Speed Display Signs

• Sep 16, 2011
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When you're considering purchasing speed display signs for highways, residential streets, construction zones, school zones or other areas, there are a number of features you should look for to make sure you get a top quality sign that will work problem-free for as long as possible. Radar traffic signs can only slow traffic when they're working properly, easily visible and displaying accurate speeds, after all.

Sign Appearance

The signs should be large enough to see easily from the road, and reflective enough to show up even in dim or stormy conditions. The LED lights...

Choosing the Right Radar Traffic Sign

• Sep 13, 2011
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The decision to use driver feedback signs is a great one that can help slow traffic permanently in that area. But there are some different types of signs to consider, even down to size and power source. Getting the right sign in the right spot is important to make sure they work as well as possible.

Highway and Residential Signs

Radar signs for highways may go up to 3 digits to alert people who are speeding far above the limit, while urban area signs generally have only two digits. The size of a highway sign should be larger to allow people to see it more easily. Also,...

Radar Traffic Signs are Low Maintenance Solutions

• Sep 10, 2011
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In some cases, law enforcement might hesitate to buy radar traffic signs because of a very real and practical worry--maintenance, repair and associated costs. A static traffic sign only needs to be buried in the ground. There's no need to worry about electricity, mechanical problems or other issues, after all. A speed bump, once installed, won't require maintenance until it starts to degrade. Those options might seem better at first glance.

But driver feedback signs are a surprisingly low-maintenance and worry-free solution to traffic calming when you look at the facts.

Radar Speed Signs Better Than Other Traffic Calming Methods

• Sep 7, 2011
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In a survey of over 100 safety professionals, police officers and traffic engineers in 2007, radar speed signs that give immediate feedback to drivers in the form of "Your Speed" readings were listed as the most effective traffic calming device. Of the five possibilities, these radar signs were considered the most likely to impact the speed of traffic, even over the obvious, visible presence of a police officer using a radar gun to monitor speeds.

The presence of law enforcement using radar was considered about as effective as speed bumps, and both of those were...

How Traffic Radar Signs Work

• Sep 4, 2011
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When you use a microwave oven, you may be able to see the food cooking through the door, but you can't see the actual microwaves. Radar beams use microwave radiation, so they're invisible, too. In a microwave oven, the waves radiate out, hitting the food from all directions. But when radar is used in radar traffic signs, the waves are sent in only one direction, toward oncoming traffic. Microwaves always travel in straight lines, so it's only a matter of pointing the beams toward the traffic to get accurate and reliable readings.

If you think about radar and microwaves,...