Going too fast is one of the main causes of car crashes. When residents are concerned about the safety of where they live, it is usually because they feel that drivers are speeding.

When we are asked to do something about the speed of traffic we consider whether traffic calming measures will be appropriate for the road where we have a problem.

Here are some of the different measures we can use to reduce traffic speeds. It tells you how these work and what their advantages and disadvantages are.

Road humps

Road humps are sometimes called 'sleeping policemen'. The tops are often rounded and you rise over the bump with you front and rear wheels separately. They are not special pedestrian crossing places and do not affect where you can or cannot park.

Speed tables

These are similar to road humps, but are much longer - you can drive up onto them - then off again. They are better for bus routes as they are more comfortable for passengers and they may highlight places where pedestrians can cross.

Speed cushions

Speed cushions are the mini-humps you see around. They are narrow enough for wide vehicles to get wheels on either side of them. They allow cyclists, buses and emergency vehicles to travel unhindered.

Build outs

These are put on one side of the road only to make cars give way to traffic coming the other way. A cycle lane is often put on the inside of the build out or we may use them to define parking areas.

Chicanes

Chicanes are build outs put close together on either side of the road. They are designed to slow vehicles down, but they reduce the available space for parking.

Pinch point

We can also narrow the road with a Pinch Point where we build the footway out on each side of the road to slow the traffic down and make it easier for pedestrians to cross the road. To make it safer for pedestrians we may need to ban parking nearby.

Central islands

These are used where we want pedestrians to cross half the road at a time. This is important where there are not too many pedestrians crossing at any one time. They work best where chicanes, road humps or speed tables have already slowed traffic down.

Gateways

Gateways are used on approaches to villages or small communities to mark where the speed limit is about to change. Here we put in high visibility signs and road markings so that drivers realise they need to take greater care in the area they are entering.

20 mph speed limit zones

These are introduced where the speed of traffic has been brought well below the normal 30mph. These speed limit orders work best if there is already a system of traffic calming in place.

Variable speed signs

These are also known as Vehicle Actuated Signs. These are designed to inform only drivers who are travelling too fast to reduce their speed and are often found on the approach to a reduction in the speed limit.

Safety cameras

Speed control safety cameras, both fixed and mobile, along with traffic light safety cameras, are operated on West Yorkshire roads where the highest number of casualties have resulted from collisions or other incidents.

The cameras have only one prime objective; to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries suffered in road crashes on the county's roads.

Wakefield is part of the West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership. Their site (see 'Related Links') gives you information about the speed control and traffic light safety cameras that are operated on West Yorkshire roads, as well as the potential penalties for, and consequences of driving over the speed limit.