flashing spped limit signs

I am on the safety committee here in MD and speeding is one problem we wuld like to address, as well as the fact that many vehicles pass stop signs as if they were not there at all, or just slow down and keep going. We have the speed limit posted, and tried speed bumps, but the local fire department/rescue squad asked to have them removed as they claim they damage their vehicles.

Anyway, has anyone tried using the flashing speed limit signs, you know, the ones that give you your spee when you approach, and if so, have they been effective.

No sign of any kind will change peoples tendencies. It's the same everywhere. They don't stop because they have no fear of a ticket or other financial penalty.

I saw one of these the other day. The flashing speed sign was attached to the standard "25 mph" speed limit sign and was actually smaller than the speed limit sign itself. It was pretty neat.

I'll be honest though, and as immature and childish as this sounds . . . there wasn't a person or cop in sight, so my goal when passing this sign was to see how fast I could go.

So . . . it didn't work on me.

Mark

One HOA I lived in had speed signs that said 24MPH (yes 24). Management company said that the different amount (24) made people look at the sign, then look at their speed and slow down to it. An attention grabber. It seemed to work.

Mark

honestly the only way you can get folks to slow down is to have the police run radar every so often. I don't know about your municipality but a lot of forces have a speed trailer that they set out and collects data and lets them know if it is a problem. Our city has a program where a citizen can get trained with a radar gun, run speeds and write down plates and the police will send the offender a warning letter. In reality all the other stuff is just gimicks that really don't work.

Flashing speed limit signs are a waste of time - the only thing that works are fines/tickets - Our HOA has private streets - the police will not ticket in our community - We're going to hire private security guards & give tickets for speeding & not stopping at
stop signs
Dennis
Port St. Lucie, FL

Bruce,

I guess that a resolution and/or an amendment to the covenants (which every is necessary) would have to be developed to require members to stop and provide information to the private security. Of course this wouldn't apply to anyone who is not a member, tenant or guest of a member/tenant. However, most individuals wouldn't push that issue as we are conditioned to stop or give the right of way for any vehicle that uses flashing lights.

What kind of evidence would you be able to produce to enforce the ticket? Will your security guards use properly calibrated radars? Will their speedometers be calibrated on a regular basis by a certified authority. I don't think you'll ever be able to enforce any of these violations and if it ends up in court you'll lose.

Mark,

Our Association looked into radar speed displays for our neighborhood. We have much the same problem as you describe in your community.

Our research indicated that these signs were very effective. In a 2007 survey of police officers and safety experts, radar speed displays (when compared with speed bumps, rumble strips or other commonly used methods) were ranked No. 1 for having the most immediate and long-lasting effect on calming traffic. ("Traffic Calming Solutions A Survey of Safety Professionals" 2007)

The local police department said we could deploy the device so long as it was not in the roadway, but up on the curb or the sidewalk.

The idea is not to cite drivers who exceed the speed limit. As another post indicated, the homeowners' association does not have that authority. But what you will find is that the large majority of speeders are residents or commercial vehicles driven by people who aren't aware of how fast they are going.

We are currently saving up to buy a device that is mounted on a wheeled trailer so we can reposition the device as needed.