|
We use several types of interactive sign on Kent's roads.
These signs help us to increase road safety.
What is an interactive sign?
There are now several types of interactive sign:
- Speed signs - to alert drivers to the speed
limit
- Warning signs - to warn of bends or junctions
with poor crash records
- Speed indication device - to tell drivers
their actual speed, as part of the SpeedWatch initiative
Put simply, an interactive sign is a sign that reacts to the
behaviour of drivers. If a vehicle is moving faster than the speed
limit, the sign will be activated.
Speed signs
The interactive speed sign is used to tell drivers that they
have not reduced their speed after entering a lower speed
limit.
Signs are placed 100 to 250 metres after the start of a lower
speed limit. If a vehicle is travelling above the speed limit, a
radar beam triggers the sign. When this happens, the speed limit is
illuminated on the sign and flashing amber lights come on above and
below that sign. The sign remains illuminated for four seconds.
We have placed roughly 80 signs around the county so far. A
further 60 sites have already been chosen and are waiting to have
signs put in place.
We fund the placement of 10 interactive signs every year. The
average cost of these signs is about £5,000.
Can the council put these signs anywhere?
No. We have a policy for the use of interactive signs; they can
only be used in the following places:
- The sign should be installed between 100m and 250m from the
start of the lower speed limit
- The road at that point needs to be straight so that the radar
beam can work
- There should be no significant vegetation that would block the
visibility of the sign or the radar beam
- There should be no existing natural or engineered feature close
to the intended sign that already acts as a speed-reducing
feature
- Wherever possible the sign should not be close to residential
properties or be directly in line with bedroom windows
- The sign is some 900mm wide so sufficient footway or verge
width is necessary, plus a minimum of 400mm to ensure that the sign
is not hit by passing vehicles
Warning signs
These are the same as existing road signs, except that they
light up in the same way as interactive speed signs. In a limited
number of cases, the words 'slow down' can be added to appear in
the sign.
They are used at sites, such as bends and road junctions, where
there is a specific crash problem. These will be sites where
traditional casualty reduction measures have failed to reduce the
number of accidents caused by speeding.
Speed Indication Device (SID)
These signs show the actual speed of the driver. They have three
specific uses:
- At roadworks to encourage drivers to slow down
- As a temporary measure either as a trailer mounted sign or
attached to a lamp column
- As part of a Speed Watch initiative. What is
Speed Watch?
Who can request that an interactive sign be put in place?
Parish councils can fully fund a sign that we will put in place,
if the above criteria are met.
Members of the public who think that an interactive sign would
be useful on a particular stretch of road should talk to their
parish council.
The cost of putting in place and maintaining the signs means
that we can place only a small number of signs each year, unless
outside funding is available. |