Speed humps
Speed humps and chicanes
are designed to keep vehicle speeds down along specific sections of
road.
They are traffic calming measures that we can put in place, if
there is a strong road safety case. This may be, for example, if
vehicles are consistently speeding on a road next to a school.
Where can speed humps be used?
It is our policy that road humps must only be used on roads
that:
- have a 30mph or lower speed limit
- are not A or B classed roads.
Speed humps are designed to keep speeds low. They are not
designed to reduce speeds. So there needs to be other measures in
place to slow vehicles down, before they reach the speed humps.
This could be a mini-roundabout, a narrow give way gateway, or
similar measure.
Is there any reason not to use speed humps?
Road humps or cushions are very effective at reducing speed.
They can cause problems for emergency service vehicles, such as
fire engines and ambulances and are noisy.
So using speed humps is not always the best traffic calming
measure to use.
Are there any other regulations that apply to speed humps?
There are regulations that apply to how speed humps can be used.
They must comply with the Highways Act and the Highways (Road
Humps) Regulations 1999 and with Kent County Council
policy.
Briefly, speed humps must:
- in Kent, be no higher than 75mm
- have appropriate signs to warn road users
- be appropriately lit.
Requesting a traffic calming measure
You can contact us to ask us to consider putting a traffic
calming measure into a road, if you believe that there is a strong
road safety case.