Speed Bumps and Speed Humps:
Similarities & Differences
When researching traffic control products, you’ll find that different companies use different terminology for each product. It can easily get confusing to understand the difference between a speed bump, a speed hump, and everything in between. Although every company is different, hopefully this will help you to more clearly understand the differences in the product we offer.
The most significant difference between a speed bump and a speed hump is the amount of traffic control each product provides. Because of the size and design of each, there is a big difference in how aggressive they will be once installed.
The speed humps are lower, and provide a longer driving distance. This design should slow traffic to about 10 – 15 mph. The speed bump offers a higher apex and a much shorter base providing much more aggressive control. These should control traffic to around 0 – 5 mph.
As mentioned, each of these products is designed with different sizes to offer varying accommodations for roads and parking areas. While both are modular, the speed humps are much more narrow than the bumps. One section of speed hump measures 19.5″ across (as in across the roadway) and 35.5″ wide (that’s the distance you would actually drive over the hump). The speed bumps are 6′ or 4’ across, and only 12″ wide. The speed hump is at 2.1” at the highest point, while the speed bump is 2.25”, again making the bump much more aggressive.
To explain this a little better, let’s look at an example. Let’s say you have a road that is 20′ wide and you need to slow the traffic. If you install a speed hump, you’ll need 10 pieces of speed hump, plus 2 end caps to achieve a total of 19’6″. When installing a speed bump in this same location, using the 6’ sections, you would need only 3 pieces of speed bump and 2 end caps to achieve the same 19’6″ width.
And finally, the application also varies as well. Since the speed bump is the most aggressive, drivers will typically stop, or almost stop before rolling over the bump. This means that traffic will move very slowly in areas where speed bumps are installed. For this reason, this type of product is typically intended for use in front of store or school entrances, at pedestrian crossings, in parking lots & garages and near stop sign locations. Normally these are used anywhere that pedestrian traffic is common.
The speed hump however offers a softer intrusion. Traffic will normally remain moving, but slow to around 10 – 15 mph. Because traffic flow continues, these are better suited for higher traffic areas, entrances from major roadways and areas with larger vehicles such as tractor-trailer traffic or emergency vehicles.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the differences. If you’re not sure what you need, or what you should be looking for, all you need do is ask. Hopefully this will give you a little better idea and we’ll help you narrow the search.