Traffic Control Measures
- There are two ways to make travelling in a car safer:
- Having cars move at a slower speed, so the stopping distance is shorter
- Making traffic collisions safer if they do happen
Reducing Traffic Speed
- There are many methods employed on UK roads to reduce the speed cars can travel:
- Speed limits
- Speed humps
- Speed cameras
Speed limits
- Speed limits tell drivers the maximum speed they are legally allowed to drive on a section of a street
- In most urban (town) areas across the UK, the speed limit is 30 mph (miles per hour)
- In residential areas across the UK, the speed limit is sometimes reduced to 20 mph
- This is because there is a higher risk of hazards on the road
- Children playing
- People walking
- Other cars parking or manoeuvring
- People opening car doors
- Pets crossing the road
- People taking longer to cross the road
- This is because there is a higher risk of hazards on the road
- In Wales, most 30 mph roads have been changed to 20 mph roads
- This decision was made to:
- Reduce the number of collisions and resulting injuries
- Encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport
- Improve the health of Welsh citizens
- Make the streets safer
- Reduce air pollution
- A speed limit is indicated by the number of miles per hour inside a red circle on a post next to the road
An Example Speed Limit Sign
A 30 mph speed limit sign
- Speed humps are used to force drivers to slow down
- They are often used:
- On roads prone to accidents
- Outside schools and hospitals
- In residential areas
- Driving over speed humps can cause damage to cars and be uncomfortable for passengers
An Example of a Speed Hump
A speed hump in the road is designed to slow cars down
- Speed cameras
- Can be both mobile or permanent
- Mobile cameras are set up by the Police along any stretch of road
- They record the instantaneous speed of cars using a laser gun
- They are set up in areas notorious for speeding and dangerous driving
An Example of a Mobile Speed Camera
Police officers set up mobile speed cameras to temporarily check the speed of passing motorists
- Permanent speed cameras are erected on posts and record the speed of cars 24 hours a day
- They measure the average speed of cars over a set distance
- Are marked by white lines on the road
- Permanent speed cameras are constructed along stretches of road where there may have been accidents or where mobile speed cameras have caught many offenders
An Example of a Permanent Speed Camera
A permanent speed camera is constructed on a pole on the side of the road and is always recording the speed of passing cars
- If speed cameras catch motorists travelling above the speed limit then they can receive one or a combination of the following:
- A fine
- A warning
- Further training via an online training course
- Points on their driver's license
Safety Features in Cars
- There are many strict requirements in place for the safety features installed in modern cars
- These include:
- Crumple zones
- Airbags
- Seat belts
- Car manufacturers are held accountable for how well these features perform
- New and old models of cars undergo regular testing to ensure they are up to standard
- Police officers are responsible for enforcing the law that all passengers travelling in a car are wearing a seatbelt
- A seatbelt restricts the distance a passenger will move during an impact
- It can stop a passenger from falling through the front windscreen for example
